Hi all,

Our son Chris loves to 'help' at the store. I get a cart/buggy and pull it from the front, while Chris in his wheelchair holds onto the handle so that he is pulled along as I pull the cart. Though Chris is 32, having the umbilical cord around his neck during labor and delivery rendered him about a 4 year old mentally. Also, a stroke at age 17 took away the use of his left hand, so he hangs on to the cart and waits for me to stop, where he then helps put groceries into our cart. 

Blessed with the blunt honesty of a child, he especially loves making turns because he swings wide as we turn, calling out 'watch out old man' or 'watch out lady', or for those with cowboy hats on, 'watch out cowboy here I come'. (In our part of the world, cowboys are real, and it isn't unusual to see a man or woman in hat, chaps, spurs, in a store) I always have to tell him to say 'excuse me' instead of 'watch out', which he does, but the lesson never sticks, so the next time we repeat the pattern - 'watch out old man'...lol. Living in a small town, most of the cashiers and many customers know us, as I even get asked when going to the store alone, 'Where is your helper today?'

Let me insert here for those who might email me about Chris' healing, that Chris loves the Lord, and has had the Lord speak to him at least 2x that I know of. Chris's faith is such: "When I get to heaven I won't need my wheelchair, I'm going to run" and "Jesus told me (when I get to heaven) He is going to walk through the mountains with me!"

    Due to his brain damage, time is a concept lost on Chris. Next week is the same as in 3 days, and 3 days as next week. As a result, we have been unsuccessful in teaching him that he can be healed now, so to him healing isn't something to be desired. He knows Jesus is going to walk with him in the mountains one day, that the Lord loves trains, and that he won't need a wheelchair when he gets to heaven, and that is enough. The rest is just what it is and he is happy.

    Numerous visitations with the Lord have been in our living room with Chris asleep mere steps away. One visitation the Lord was standing on my left while Chris was seated in his wheelchair on my right, just a slight reach for the Lord to touch Chris, but He did not, choosing for whatever reason to meet Chris where Chris' faith is; that when he gets to heaven he won't need a wheelchair.

Check out line

And so it was one day, the day this photo was taken, that we were in the check out line with a woman in front of us who had a small child in the child's seat of the cart.

Our practice is for Chris to be first in the line, then me, then the cart/buggy. I pull items from our cart/buggy and give them to Chris, who then helps by putting them on the belt for the cashier. He is always enthusiastic and the first item that day was a can that he threw onto the belt which then rolled like a cylindrical bowling ball towards the cashier with enough force to get a strike had it been in a bowling alley!

That's when I noticed the lady in front of us, who was texting madly on her smart phone, completely ignoring her 2 year old in the seat and the actions of the cashier, who needed the woman to slide her card to complete the transaction. I looked at her, then to the cashier who was silently staring the customer down with the look of 'Lady, there are people in line so please notice we are all waiting on you!' Her ignored 2 year old was playing with the last couple plastic sacks of items which needed to be loaded into the cart/buggy, and the cashier was keeping an eye on the little girl as well, making sure she didn't grab a sack and empty the contents onto the floor.

I looked behind us, and the 3 other people in line were also staring at the woman, still texting away, caught up in her world. Connected, but alone. Surrounded, but disconnected. Finally the cashier politely said 'Just slide your card please' and the woman returned to planet earth, slid her card and completed the sale, never looking around to connect with her surroundings, never seeing the line, never seeing the rolling eyes and shaking of the head of the cashier.

So this series is about the effects of being connected yet living in a world unconnected from real people, real relationships, real growth and personal development. Many studies have been done and much written about technology's affect on society, but my interest here is Christians and growth in Christ, and how we believers are affected.

Christians, fellowship, and false friendships

Technology allows us to tweet, email, friend, text, instant message, Skype, and connect at will with people all over the world, yet I hear over and over that Christians are among the hardest to get actual face time with. From the business person to church person, actually sitting down together and getting to know one another is as difficult as catching a butterfly with bare hands; You think it has settled on the flower, but just as you get close it flies off to another flower, and you are left standing empty handed and discouraged.

You've probably experienced or observed that people say things via email they would never say if they were face to face with a person. I went to a Tulsa TV station web site recently because they have the best weather radar, and their lead news item was about local Union members wanting to switch Unions to represent them at work. The story included a photo of several men in a room at a meeting.

When I scrolled down to look at the comments, people had emailed in rude comments on the story about the big belly of one man, the rough and dirty look of another, how they looked lazy, and so on. 

Shallow people, more shallow as Christians

I get the same type of comments just by the nature of these Weekly Thoughts and my e-newsletter. People who subscribe for a year or two will suddenly get offended at something I say, send off a rude and insulting email to me, and unsubscribe. They may have received 50 or 100 or 200 or more emails from me over the last couple of years, but if I write 1 thing they don't agree with, or they have read something into what I wrote (that I never intended), or the article touches their 'hot' button of where they were hurt in the past, suddenly I get a nasty, hate filled, rude email from them.

Forget the fact their lives have been changed by the other 99 or 199 emails/teachings over the last couple of years - regular emails from me and even emailing back and forth in some cases has allowed a familiarity, yet the distance and anonymity of email allowed them to lob insults and hate without fear of repercussion. Like the people responding to the news story above, you just know if we were face to face they would never say what they wrote in email.

Some Christians are almost willing to do away with real friendships, because the machines seem to be listening to them. The machines never challenge them, make them think, or cause them to face their own heart. Machines are safe, and relationships through those machines are safe. They allow a distance between people lest someone get too close, which might cause me hurt.

Mankind has never been as connected as it is today, yet 25% of Americans have no close friends and the average number of friends for the remaining 75% has dropped from 4 to 2, corresponding with the rise of technology's ability to connect us. (June 2006 American Sociological Review)

The illusion of friendship
Our machines give us the illusion of friendship without the demands of friendship. Our machines give us a false sense of connectivity, a false sense of intimacy. You may see a notice on Facebook, 'I have a cold today', and feel sorry for the person, even lifting a prayer for their quick recovery, and you feel connected to them. A person may tweet that they passed their test today, getting 96%, and you send a quick note of congratulations.

And while that is good as far as it goes, that usually IS as far as it goes. The person who writes a 'Get well soon, praying for you' on Facebook, and tweets 'Congratulations, way to go!', may be living all alone, maybe suicidal, without a church family, without a job or friends, but the connectivity our machines provide give people a false sense of friendship.

As a result in many cases, the more a person connects, the more alone they feel. Like eating a meal while you're still half full from the previous meal, you don't taste the food and don't enjoy it for there is no inner fulfillment. That same emptiness happens when we have no true face to face friends but just a strong network of online friends. We are lonely but are afraid of intimacy.

Enter the Lord
Many Christians don't know how to be alone with themselves, and therefore don't know how to be alone with the Lord. They run to the prophet for a word because they don't truly know the Lord because they've not learned how to be alone, and alone with Him. They run to meetings for answers, willingly forgetting and neglecting the fact Christ lives in them and is as close as an investment in time and effort to get to know Him.

Like the woman in the check out line, the moment there was a lull in life, the moment her attention wasn't focused on her daughter or the process of paying for groceries, her mind went to 'connecting' with someone via a text conversation because it is easy, convenient, and non-threatening.

Yet we realize the great people of faith knew how to be alone: Abraham looking at the stars and receiving the revelation he would be the father of a people as numerous as they. Young shepherd David alone in the fields around Bethlehem, communing with the Lord in solitude. Jesus going off by himself into the wilderness or mountain or quiet place where He could be alone to be with the Father in prayer.

Your life counts! How do we develop our walk with the Lord while also being connected electronically to so many? How do we cultivate personal solitude as well as genuine friendships? How do we discover our purpose and what role do relationships have in that? What are other effects of technology on friendships?

That's where I'll pick up next week, until then, blessings,

John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

My mom was a great reader. I remember a whole wall of shelves lined with books ranging from World Atlases and Agatha Christie murder mysteries to encyclopedias and dictionaries. From floor to ceiling the shelves were filled, yet I never read a single one of her books.

That was because her wall of books served as background to where our TV sat. I'd come home from school and watch shows like 'Get Smart', 'The Brady Bunch', and closer to dinner, 'Hogan's Heroes'. TV was always much more appealing than books because TV was always moving, colorful, and took me into other worlds, whether that be a mock WWII prison camp, the world of an incompetent secret agent, or the family of

'Marcia, Marcia, Marcia'.

I shared last month about summer doldrums and priorities, but how do these play out?

One day mom really pressed me to read a book. I distinctly remember her trying to get me to read one of her classics like Ben Hur, Quo Vadas, or even Agatha Christie. I stiffly refused, stating they were boring, drawing that conclusion without doing anything more than leafing through the pages - all I saw was page after boring page of black ink on white pages. Nothing tickled my senses or inspired me.

So she challenged me to find a book at the school library and read something that appealed to me.

I took her challenge and found a book about a Mountain Lion, also called a Cougar or Puma in the US. It was from the lion's point of view; Its endless search for food, the wariness of meeting another male lion, the danger in bringing down a deer with antlers - and I was hooked on reading!

And this relates to house church...how?

House church is like the battle in my mind between boring books or flashy TV. The richness of the books could only be experienced by immersing myself in them, by setting aside time to read, making them a priority, spending time between the dust jackets.

TV required no effort on my part, it entertained, and was comfortably shallow. TV entertained me, books changed me.

Last month I shared about the summer doldrums. The time upon us now is the settling of the seasons, when priorities are set, schedules are remade, and suddenly people we haven't seen all summer either completely disappear off the radar, or return like long lost family.

We find that even people who have been with us for a year or more were in the end, only leafing through our pages, never truly making those of us they fellowshipped with in our houses a top priority in their lives.

Sometimes 'going to church' is all that people want. They would rather 'go to church' because it is entertaining, isn't challenging, or they find they need to go to a church that 'ministers to me'. Its for the kids, or an hour and a half where they don't have to do anything, or they need to 'recharge' for a time.

For those of us on the inside of house church, between the covers of a great book to stay with my example, life is rich in multiple dimensions, and returning to 'TV' Christianity just has no appeal. We want to invest ourselves in relationships, to be part of a solution rather than just back off from relationships.  

Identity

This last 6 months or so I've continually been drawn back to how the early church had a sense of belonging, of identity with those they fellowshipped with. Look at Acts 4:23 where Peter and John came very close to execution, but were instead released by the officials. "And being set free, they went to their own group..."

They knew who 'their group' was. They knew who 'had their back', a US expression meaning someone is watching out for you. When Peter was released from prison by an angel in Acts 12, he knew where to go:

"And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered together praying." (v12)

Peter demonstrated in 4:23 and 12:12 that he had a group he identified with, who he considered home base, those who had his back - in this case praying for him while he was in prison.

While we see travel 'house to house' in Acts, we also know there were 'home bases' that were focal points of identity for believers. Even after a house church multiplied out those 2 remained related, and then to 3 and 4 and more, to where Paul ended up writing to all the related house church by saying 'to the church at'...Rome, Corinth, etc.

And that is why we see specific people named as hosting church in their home: Priscilla and Aquila in Rome and Ephesus, Justus in Corinth, Jason in Thessalonica, Nymphas in Laodecia, Philemon in Colossae. To some of them Paul writes 'Greet the church that meets in your house'. (Acts 16:15,40, 17:5,18:7, Romans 16:3, I Cor 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon v2)

TV or book?

And that's part of what happens every fall; people decide who they want to identify with. The church that meets in your house, or 1st church down the street. It is normal process. Our hope and prayer is that they will choose to identify themselves with those of us who 'watch their back' so to speak and have met with us in our homes, sharing meals even.  

I have no problem believing that for some, being in the traditional church can be the Lord's will for them. But as I've said many times, though righteousness comes through knowing Christ, God ordained that righteousness is proven through relationships. Some back away from that in house church, or seek that growth through other relationships in the traditional church. We love them and the door is always open for we want God's best for them. 

So watch and observe the wrestling going on in some people. Don't be afraid to sit down and talk frankly with them. Is (house) church boring for them? What could be improved upon? Have they been so busy this summer they've lost touch with others and so feel distant and unattached and searching? Are there family needs we can help meet?

Remember that we are a living body, which means the only thing constant is change. Don't be afraid of it, follow life and meet needs, and encourage people to be part of the solution so that others may benefit.

Be related to the rest of the body of Christ in this network and the body of Christ in your community, but allow yourself also to be identified with 'your group' as Peter was. Know the 'church that meets in the house', for they are extended family, friends, and they have your back!

Blessings!
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

First a couple updates, then thoughts on (US) voting for a Mormon(?)

Paul told us exactly what his thorn in the flesh was - He said an angel of Satan was sent to buffet him to keep him from being exalted (by the Word). (Some translations use 'messenger' rather than 'angel', but in the Greek it is 'an angel of Satan was assigned to me to buffet me'.)

    In this series I show you in Acts this demonic assignment in Paul's life, what the Lord's instruction meant to him, and how Paul learned to walk in the grace and authority of the Lord. This is instruction for us on how to break similar demonic assignments, and I hope you'll find it a blessing.

    Let's face it; There are times we haven't done anything to provoke people or circumstances against us, but attacks come anyway. We wonder ‘Why is this happening God?’ This series will help you identify them, and break those assignments with specific things the Lord taught me about rebuking them.

Lithuania trip
Barb and I just returned from our Lithuanian conference, and the whole week was an amazing time in the Lord. Our conference was held a Friday-Sunday at a camp, and Monday-Tuesday in homes, and filled with worship, practical instruction, prayer for all on that Saturday night, and wonderful food & fellowship.

   One example from that week: Monday night was a meeting with a couple who lead a house church in their flat. I don't often share details about what I see when the Lord opens my eyes to His realm in meetings, but that Monday night meeting was so anointed I'll share a bit here. 

    As often happens, as soon as we (20+) all gathered I saw angels in the room, just observing. The worship was truly anointed, and suddenly I saw four angels I've often seen just before the Lord enters a room. I call them 'the guard', because there are always 4 of them, they always precede the Lord by 15-30 seconds, and are dressed in a way that makes me think they are high ranking, with robes and colors that communicate rank. They normally swoop in from above in a blur, and stand forming a square, and the Lord comes a few seconds later right in their midst.

    This is what happened that night, and then He walked over to me, spoke a few things briefly, and then walked around the room talking to each person as we sat in near silent worship. I'll share one testimony from the night:

    He walked over to a friend, a powerful woman who leads another house church but whose husband isn't saved, and the Lord and her suddenly disappeared in what seemed to me to be a bubble of light for about 5 minutes. Later she said the Lord took her away flying among clouds to a waterfall, and to a meadow with flowers, all while speaking encouragement to her – that’s just 1 example from the night. From my perspective, not knowing about what went on inside the bubble of light until later, it seemed they just disappeared, then a few minutes later the bubble disappeared and the Lord continued walking around the room, picking up where He had disappeared without breaking stride, speaking things to everyone there.

As you can tell the trip was spiritually rich.

October 5-12 Barb and I will be visiting the house churches in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, and will be joined by 2 from Tulsa and 2 from Alabama as well. Though its too late for this trip, for future reference, if you are in our network of house churches or are a ministry friend we encourage you to consider joining us in our travels! It is so wonderful to visit each other, as we follow Paul’s pattern seen in Acts and as seen in his letters to the churches, as we practice the Biblical pattern of house church networking.

Election in US
I shared a few weeks ago in this space a small part of what the Father told me about the election. I shared this part: "As it stands now, Romney will win the election and the Republicans will take the Senate."

    But I didn't share the rest of what He said because some of what He said hadn't taken place yet. He actually continued talking, telling me who Mr. Romney needed to pick as a running mate to win because that state would prove to be important in the election, and what would happen if he didn't choose that person.

    I only told 2 others at the time what He said, and another since then...but I will report to you that Mr. Romney chose someone other than who the Father commented on that day, so I continue to pray for our country as the outcome is unclear to me at this point. The Father has remained silent about it since then, and usually that means what He said last, stands. Thus the call to prayer. 

    It is amazing to me how apolitical the Father is - apolitical meaning 'having no interest nor association with politics'. He is King after all, of the universe. Maybe apolitical isn't as accurate as saying He is God and the kingdoms and economies of this world don't threaten Him one bit. He is above it all, yet interested for our sakes and the spread of the gospel. All will one day be submitted to Him, but until then...

Vote for a Mormon?
And this brings me to address the question I've been bombarded with by so many emails in the last month, usually expressed something like this: "John, who should we vote for? I have a problem voting for a Mormon, but can't vote for Obama either. What do you think?"

    Though this is a US election, and my 'Weekly Thoughts' and this e-newsletter is circulated among about 50 nations, the principles I share here are relevant for all. In the Gospels and the days of the writing of our New Testament, that part of the world was under the domain of the Roman Empire. There was no voting for elected officials, politicians held office by appointment and favor of Rome, so there are no instructions in the NT telling us to exercise our right to vote.

    We are told to obey the authorities, and to pray for all those in authority that we may lead quite and peaceful lives - but nothing about praying for or about the character, ethics, family life, or religion of those in public office. There are no instructions to pray for instance, that Herod would repent and return to his Jewish roots. There is no verse asking the saints to pray for Caesar to come to the Lord. There is no instruction to pull down demonic strongholds over Rome or any other city or nation that the kingdom of God might advance.

But a Mormon?
We aren't voting for a Republican or Democrat, Mormon or Muslim - we are voting on the Office of the Presidency of the United States. The President-elect puts his hand on a Bible and says: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

    Whoever takes office, it is about their ability to execute the office of President, to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. That is our question: Which candidate will best do that?

There are well meaning believers saying a vote for Romney is a vote for anti-Christ, a vote anti-Israel, and a vote for Mormonism, but they miss the point. It isn't about their religion, its about how they can execute the office of President.

    This isn't popularity vote like some Junior Class President in high school. We are voting on who can best execute the office and protect, preserve, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

    So laying all the other distractions aside, who do you think can best execute the office, and preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution? Answer that you you'll know who to vote for.

The Dog Catcher
If you apply the litmus test of a man's religion to the vote of President, then to not be a hypocrite you must do the same for all you vote for, from the Dog Catcher to City Council to School Board to the Judge who wants to remain on the bench. Do you vote or not vote for each person on every ballot based on where they go to church, temple, or just stay home? Or do you vote for them because they can fulfill the office they seek? That they will be good for the School Board, good for the City Counsel, etc?

    Furthermore, how many Christians voted for Ronald Reagan, and ignored wife Nancy's weekly consultation of the Astrology charts and the fact she sought the advice of her personal Astrologer? We could go back to JFK and his numerous well-documented affairs, the corruption of LBJ, the non-faith of Ford or Southern Baptist yet way liberal Carter....but the vote isn't on religion, it is on how well the person can execute the office of President and defend the Constitution.

    So separate both men's religion, and vote on what they must swear to on January 20, 2013 - those are my thoughts.  

Thank you!
Thank you to all who remember us in their giving. I encourage all believers to live the lifestyle of a giver as scripture says, to bless those who are a part of your life – discipline yourself to set aside ‘seed’ for people in the body of Christ and eat your bread as II Corinthians 9:7-12 says – there is a different level of grace on those who discipline themselves to live as givers, a grace of timing and favor and joy that is unmatched on earth.

    Thank you for your prayers. A personal note on our son Chris – We had a total of 3 weeks of travels, a week in the US right before our 2 week Europe trip, and by the last week of travels Chris was emotionally very down that last week, refusing to get out of bed until noon, resisting efforts by the group home aides to get him up, refusing to eat and so on. We'll keep our travels more spaced out in the future and limited them to 2 weeks maximum for his benefit.

    Chris is doing well now, and we continue to talk through and plan the process of modifying our home for him for his weekly visits (2 days/1 night per week) 

– thank you! John and Barb
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

I've been sharing these last 4 weeks how to be determine if a teaching is the true and balanced Word of God. We determine if a teaching is 'the whole counsel of God' by asking these questions: Is it consistent with the character of Jesus? Is it consistent with the life/actions of Jesus? Can it be found elsewhere 2-3 times in the Word? Is it understood in context and in the culture of the day?

But what about something not found in the Word?
What if someone comes to you and says "The Lord told me..." and it doesn't sound right but you can't disagree with them because they said 'God said', yet you know it doesn't make sense and isn't wise but they aren't open to your opinion - what do you do?

What if someone tells you God told them they can quit their job because He will take care of them? What if someone says God told them not to take their medicine anymore, but you can see no change to their condition and clearly they are risking their health and life? What if someone says God told them not to take their sick child to a doctor?

What if someone told you God said so and so is going to be their spouse? What if someone is believing God for healing while continuing to abuse their body which caused the condition in the first place, yet they won't change their diet or lifestyle - and 'God said' essentially, they don't have to, for He will heal them anyway?

The answer doesn't sound spiritual
Jesus said 'Wisdom is justified by her children'. This means a wise decision will later be revealed to have been wise by the (children/results) of the decision. Luke 7:35 

That means if someone is about to make a decision based on 'God told me' but what they claim He said doesn't seem scriptural nor wise but you can't turn to chapter and verse to prove it, the answer is to let them walk out their claim. That is difficult if you love them, to watch them suffer, but there is no other solution.

Letting them walk it out is taught by Paul: "Brothers and sisters, if anyone is overtaken in a trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness, considering yourself as you also could have been tempted. In doing so you bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."

"But if someone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each person examine his own life and actions, and then he will be able to rejoice within himself, for each shall bear his own load." Galatians 6:1-5

So we see two things at work here: In the first 2 verses it is about someone who sins and repents, and is surrounded by loving friends eager to renew their fellowship and friendship.

Next he talks about someone who won't repent, is set in their way, refusing to accept guidance from others. Let us examine what Paul says we should do for a person like that.

First, this person thinks more highly of himself than he should - 'thinks himself to be something when he is nothing'.

Second, is that they are self-deceived. In the Greek, this is 'phrenapatao', which means 'to deceive by fantasies', or as Vine's Dictionary of NT Words says, 'a sin against common sense'. James says this person is a hearer of the Word, but not a doer. My experience has been these people pick and choose which parts of the Word they will obey, and refuse to examine themselves in other areas.

Third, the verse says 'let each person examine his own work (life and actions). My experience has been that once a person thinks more highly of themselves than they should (pride), and become self-deceived, sinning against common sense by their fantasies, they lose desire to examine their lives and take responsibility for their actions.

One of the most common is the get-rich-quick mentality I've seen so many times through the years. Usually the person is either in debt and has been praying about a quick solution to get out of debt, or they want enough money to live on so they 'can do what I'm called to do' in the Lord. When a proposal comes to them, they invest money in it trusting the Lord has finally moved on their behalf.

It would take more than all my fingers and toes to count over 36+ years of walking with the Lord, of able-bodied men and women who have told me 'God told me to quit my job' or 'God told me I don't have to work anymore', and then after being brought to the edge of starvation, go back to work - without a hint of willingness to examine their life! No admittance they missed it, no teachability - they are still blaming the devil instead of looking in the mirror.

Fourth is that 'each shall bear his own load'. This is a word picture of a man carrying a load on his back - meaning if a person claims 'God told me', time will tell the tale. To him who is walking in wisdom and in balance, they will have rejoicing in themselves over what the Lord has done. To him who thinks he is something when he is nothing, he too has to walk that out and suffer the consequences.

When God actively resists His children
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God, and then resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands (remove yourself from your prideful action) you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up!" James 4:6-10

Pride - the only solution for pride listed in the Old and New Testaments is for the proud person to repent and humble themselves before God. If someone sins against you, you can ask the Father to forgive them and He will do it. But pride isn't something you can pray for a person to be delivered from, they must humble themselves and rid themselves of it.

You can pray they see their pride, you can pray the Father will deal with them about it, but you can't cast out their pride nor pray it away for them - only the proud can get rid of their pride, and the only solution presented in scripture is repentance.

The Father will actively resist a proud Christian. We don't want our Father actively resisting us. Know this: He will actively resist a person in a single area they are in pride and error, while in the rest of their lives be open and flowing. Many who don't realize this truth think that because He is blessing in one area of their life then the He must be OK with the rest of their life - but often that is not the case.

We have only to look at our children to see a natural example of this. We may 'ground' a child, taking away privileges from them for a time, yet in the rest of their lives our relationship with them is normal - they are our children, only in this one area have we resisted them (their pride).

In short, if a person tells you 'God told me' and you don't believe it is God, then let them walk it out. Be supportive, see if they are open to instruction, and if not let them walk it out. As Paul said, God is not mocked, He will render to them what they deserve. And if they are self-deceived they are in pride, and only they can remedy their own situation.

When you find someone who has a track record of saying 'God told me' and their life is one of productivity, peace, stability, then their 'children' - the results of their decisions - are obvious to be God. If you find someone who has a track record of saying 'God told me' but then nothing works out, or God suddenly seems to change His mind, or they are drifting yet aren't open to truth - they must walk it out. Often His grace will try to reach their pride another way, letting them have their way (though a tough route) for a season, before bringing them back to the place of need and hopefully, repentance and change.

Next week - another subject. Until then, blessings,

John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

I've been talking about how to know if a teaching is true or false based on 'the whole counsel of God', found in these 3 areas: Is it consistent with the character of Jesus? Is it consistent with Jesus' actions/life? Is it found in 2-3 places in the Word? And the 4th area introduced last week; Is the verse in context with preceding and following verses. Today; Understanding the Culture.

Understanding the culture

Some islands of the Caribbean have the reputation of being unfriendly to tourists. This conclusion is drawn because when people on cruising boats visit the islands, often the residents just stare and don't say a word. This has led to some people thinking the residents either don't like white people, or don't like them because they are tourists, or because they have money while many of the residents don't. Some tourists say they feel threatened by the stares and silence.

But in the book Caribbean Hiking by O'Keefe he explains that locals like to be spoken to first, expecting visitors to initiate greetings and conversations. One cruising couple decided to put it to the test, and upon setting foot on a long pier saw a group of locals 200 feet away (61 meters). They describe a motley assortment of dreadlock wearing men, fishermen and taxi drivers, all staring intently at them as they walked down the pier.

Taking a chance when they were just 20 feet away (6 meters) they smiled and called out "Good morning everybody!" The reaction was immediate: "Morning! Morning!" "Yah, mon!", "Good day to you!" with each person smiling widely as they offered their greetings.

The reputation is undeserved among tourists, it is a misunderstanding of the local culture. But if a misunderstanding gets repeated enough, it becomes fact in the minds of many; it becomes 'truth'.

2,000 years later...turn the other cheek?
One of the least understood passages and therefore incorrectly taught is from the Sermon on the Mount, and the misunderstanding is because of not knowing the culture. (Matthew 5:33-48)

"You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'; but I say to you that you don't resist evil, but whoever hits you on the right cheek, offer the other as well. And if anyone sues you in court and takes away your jacket, offer to him your heavy coat as well. And whoever compels you to go 1 mile, go with him 2..."

From not understanding the Word nor culture, pastors have taught their congregations to become spineless door mats, suffering all sorts of evil at the hands of everything from dishonest 'Christian' businesspeople to telling their children not to stand up for themselves in school, to continuing in abusive marriages, and more.

The subject is restitution
In Exodus 21:18-36 we have laws of restitution concerning acts of violence. Picking up in v22: "If men are fighting and a by-stander like a pregnant woman is injured and has a miscarriage as a result, yet no violence or rape was intended, the man causing the miscarriage will be punished and pay a fine as the woman's husband and the judges determine. But if any other harm or rape follows, her attacker will give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth..."

The passage clearly shows first, a baby in the womb is life, and second, the phrase 'eye for eye and tooth for tooth' is about restitution and making up for injury caused. The attacker must pay restitution for the damage caused, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

This limits what is known as 'punitive damages' by saying 'eye for eye' rather than 'you hurt my eye you have to pay for my injury the rest of your life'. Other passages similarly limit the amount a thief has to restore, including in Leviticus 6:1-6 the restoration of the principle, plus 20% interest, and an offering to the Lord.

Saved from being mauled
The Bible interprets the Bible, so we looked at the Word in Exodus, which shows 'an eye for an eye' was restitution, not revenge. For instance, when our youngest son, Brian was about 9, he saw a vicious dog about to attack a little 4 year old girl who had wandered into the chained up dog's yard and within range of his length of chain.

He got between the dog and the girl taking her out of range, saving her from a horrible mauling or death, but suffered bites from the dog in the process. The trip to the emergency room was over $300, and we sought restitution from the neighbors - tooth for tooth, bite for bite - so to speak. (They refused saying it was the girl's fault)

Back in Matthew 5 Jesus continues: "But I say to you, don't resist evil, for whoever hits you on the right cheek, offer the left, and whoever sues you in court and takes away your jacket, offer your heavy coat..."

To slap you makes me feel good
In courts of the day, a common judgment for misdemeanors was a slap on the right cheek and a small fine against the defendant. As most people were right-handed, a slap on the defendant's right cheek made the blow less powerful. Jesus is making his point to His disciples about being so ready to offer restitution, so ready to make things right, that you offer the other cheek if that will satisfy the person who has won a judgement against you.

He continues by saying if you are in court and the judgment goes against you and you are required to give the plaintiff your jacket, go over and above what is required and give your heavy coat too.

The extra mile
"And whoever compels you to go 1 mile, go with him 2". This custom started with the Persian Empire and continued by the Greeks and then Romans. The law stated that any messenger from the king had the right to use (ride) any camel, donkey or horse for a distance equivalent to about 1 mile (1.6km), and the owner of the animal had the right to accompany the messenger that he might retrieve his animal when the messenger changed mounts. Jesus said to go the extra mile, just to be sure the messenger was well served and everything was right between you and the messenger. (I cover these in my Sermon on the Mount II series)

Poor pastor
If a person doesn't research the Word that Jesus' ministry was based on, and doesn't check into the culture of the day, and doesn't stay in context, and doesn't measure what a passage appears to say against the whole of Jesus's life and character, they come away with a teaching that Christians are to be door mats for others to take advantage of and abuse. That clearly is NOT what Jesus is teaching.

You are so eager to make things right you offer 1 extra slap, but after that the person has to deal with their own heart, for you've done your part. If a judgment against you commands you give up your favorite jacket, be so eager to make it right you give your favorite coat too - but not your whole wardrobe. They will have to deal with their own heart for you've done all you can do on your part to be at peace with them.

If you go an extra mile for a person, turn back taking your animal with you, for they will have to get their own beast of burden from there on out, having to deal with their own lack of planning or laziness on their own - you've done over and above what the Lord commands - the rest is up to them.

And the context confirms the right understanding for Jesus continues: "Give to him who asks of you, and if someone wants to borrow something, don't turn them away. You have heard it said you should love your neighbor but hate your enemy, but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who use you and persecute you (see above examples) that you might be like your Father in heaven, for He makes the sun and rain to shine and fall on the just and unjust alike without discrimination or bias...."

Clearly the context is about Christian character and doing all we can to make things right, to be at peace with others, to love all equally without discrimination or bias, while placing limits on just how much we are to give in our efforts to make peace with them. Jesus is saying do what you can do, but after that they have to stand on their own two feet - don't be an enabler. That is Christian love.  

And this leads to...
Once you understand The Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus lays out His core message, then other passages fall into place, like how many pastors say we are to shun and avoid former church members who have left. They cite Matthew 18:15-20 where Jesus says to treat a brother who refuses to make peace as 'a heathen and publican.'

Many pastors have told congregations to scorn and avoid former members of their church, saying this is what Jesus said to do. But when you see what Jesus said a few chapters earlier about walking in love, (Word), and understand the character of Jesus (the Shepherd going after the lone lost sheep), and put it in context and culture, you see the way we are to treat the publican and sinner is to love him - to treat him as our Father does, who causes the sun and rain to fall on just and unjust alike without bias or discrimination.

This proper understanding is verified because in the next verses Jesus says those original 2 or 3 men who went to the man to try to make peace, are now gathered in Jesus' name praying for him, and the Lord says He is in the midst of those 2-3 who are agreeing for this man's restoration and soul!

Isn't that understanding consistent with the life of Jesus, consistent with the whole of the gospels, consistent with culture, context and the rest of the Word? That's how you find the whole counsel of God as it relates to a teaching....next week, how to determine His counsel when it isn't in chapter and verse...

blessings, 
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

Last week I shared about knowing the 'whole counsel of God' by knowing His character, and actions recorded in His Word. Today I'll share 'context'.

Threw stones behind our back
When Barb and I first moved to the Boulder, Colorado area in May of 1980, we joined a church and got to know the pastor and his wife. To this day over 30 years later, we could pick up with them where we left off as friends, though we haven't seen each other since 1992. That's important for the story I'm about to tell.

We became friends with a couple who were leaders in the church, and they often hosted a lunch after Sunday morning service that was legendary. They were potlucks, but the wife, I'll call her 'E', always made delicious Mexican food of such quality and abundance that no matter what everyone else made, we all

gravitated to whatever E had made.

As the 10-15 of us talked the conversation would inevitably drift towards church. Being Christians, its almost mandatory that everyone have an opinion about everything in church, ranging from the sermons to what the pastor's wife was wearing to how dirty the bathrooms were Sunday - and everything in between.

Nothing said was critical, malicious, or in any way improper, just talking about how to make church better, or expressing thoughts over a meal as friends are prone to do.

And then one day...
We learned somehow we had fallen out of favor with the pastor and his wife, but were at first clueless. When we pressed an informant for information, the trail led directly back to E and talk during the Sunday afternoon potlucks. She had developed an attitude towards the pastor and his wife, but rather than go to them directly as scripture says, she pulled others into her criticism, including saying "John and Barb said".

We were horrified, and immediately called the pastor and his wife and asked to come over. We apologized profusely, humbly, sincerely, for we were horrified what E had told them. But when the pastor and his wife asked 'Did you say _________?' we had to admit, 'Yes' to all charges - we did say all that E had reported.

But everything E had reported to them was taken out of context. Yes, the bathrooms were a mess, we said that, but that was sandwiched within talk of a plan to become involved in the bathroom cleaning rotation, and adding decorations to make the women's bathroom more home-like, and so on.

It wasn't criticism, which the pastor immediately saw in each and every claim, and our name was cleared - but it was a very humbling lesson. It ended our attendance at the Sunday potlucks, but we repaired the relationship with the pastor and his wife. And they learned E was the actually source of the sudden rise of strife in the church.

Again, a question of character
One of the comments the pastor made to us that afternoon was this; "Well, it didn't sound like you...these things she reported to us seemed out of character." Because they did know our character, it made it much easier to set the record straight and allowed them to see the real source of strife. E had just stood behind us (and others) to lob stones of accusation at the pastor and his wife, but we never let that happen again.

Jesus and context
One of the biggest things that people fall into is believing teaching that is taken out of context and turned into something that is far different from what Jesus said or the epistles teach. When that happens the 3 elements from last week are lost: Know the 'whole counsel of God' by staying with Character, Action, and Word.

Is what x teacher says consistent with the character of Jesus? Years ago some people were barking and crawling on the floor, supposedly under the influence of the Holy Spirit - really? Could you see Jesus barking like a dog or making anyone bark like a dog? No, of course not, so we dismiss the claim it is God.

Action - is that behavior found in the gospels or Acts, or described in the epistles? Word - can you find chapter and verse, and not just one, but 2 or 3 at least which say the same thing, and that thing is then consistent with the Lord's recorded actions and character? Did Peter every bark by the Holy Spirit? No!

All 3 elements must agree to be the whole counsel of God: The character of God, the recorded actions of God, and the Word of God.

An example
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, haven't we prophesied in your name? And in your name cast out many demons? And in your name done many wonderful things?' And then I will admit (confess) to them, 'I never knew you: Depart from me you who work iniquity.'" Matthew 7:21-23

This verse has been used to scare the living daylights out of Christians for years, who live in constant fear of their heavenly Father lest they do something that would get them kicked out of heaven.

And pulled out of context, that verse does sound like even Christians who love the Lord and living upright lives should fear the fires of hell. But let us put it in context and use our 3 guidelines to gain a clearer understanding.

Who is he talking about?
The preceding verses determine the context: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are hungry wolves. You will know them by the fruit of their lives. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A healthy tree can't produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn't bring good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire, therefore by their fruit you will know them....Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter into the kingdom of heaven...they will say haven't we done great things in your name...but I will admit that I never knew them..." Matthew 7:15-23

Let me ask you a question: If Jesus told you something, anything, would whatever He told you be the truth? Of course, but allow this foolishness. If Jesus told you anything at all, wouldn't be the truth?

So if He told people, "I admit to you, I never knew you, leave me you who work iniquity", wouldn't that be the truth? I mean, He isn't saying He once knew them but no longer do - I never knew you - that is the truth, right?

So when people - in context false Christians - claim to have prophesied, cast out demons, and done great things in Jesus' name, and Jesus says 'I never knew you', who are you going to believe? Jesus, or them?

Now re-read that passage starting back in verse 15 that starts out "Beware of false prophets" and ends with "I never knew you" and you'll see that you dear Christian, have nothing to fear.

Jesus isn't talking about Christians, He is talking about false prophets, false Christians, non-born again people who work in the church, in Jesus' name laying claim to great things they have done for God, yet on that last day Jesus will be forced to admit to them, 'I never knew you, now leave me you workers of sin'.

(Look at the following verses talking about 2 houses, one built on sand (false prophets/false believers) and one built on the rock (Rock/Jesus) - it says the same thing as above, the false house false, the real survives)

The 3 guidelines
Besides context, we must ask these questions: Would throwing Christians out of heaven be consistent with the character of Jesus as seen in the gospels? Is there any example of Him telling any true believer they were destined for hell? The answer is no. Is there anything in Acts or the epistles saying genuine believers and disciples of Jesus might yet miss heaven? The answer is no.

Action - do we see any action taken in the gospels or Acts to suggest Jesus or the apostles telling true disciples who are walking as best as they can with the Lord, that they are going to hell? No.

Word - Can we find chapter and verse in the New Testament that says true disciples of Jesus might still go to hell? The answer is no.

Therefore, based on context, the character of Jesus, the actions of Jesus, and the Word, we can determine that when Jesus said 'Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter into heaven', He was in fact talking about false believers, not true Christians.

In the same way my pastor back in 1980 had doubts about things Barb and I supposedly said because he knew the quality of our character, so too ask yourself; Does that sound like the Jesus I know, who I see in the gospels? If the answer is no, dig into context, look for similar actions in the gospels, and try to find 2 or 3 other verses that support that claim - if any one of them is inconsistent, disregard what the teacher says.

Next week - culture in context

Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

Water balloon fight

It was a hot summer day in Kokomo, Indiana and we neighborhood kids were having a water fight. The new innovation back then was the 'water balloon'. Far better than a garden hose which had to remain connected to the faucet, a water balloon could be transported anywhere the attacker wanted.

The Fenn house was always ground zero for neighborhood activity, but across the road and down 2 houses was the Spencer family and their 2 girls. Next to the Spencer house were their cousins, the Spencers, who had 2 boys. That particular day the 4 Spencers attacked the 3 Fenn boys with water balloons in our own yard! The challenge had to be met!

I wanted to make a statement, filling the largest balloon with as much water as it would hold. I could barely tie the knot as I half ran and half waddled to the Spencer yard.

I had seen Stacey Spencer run around the corner of her house, where their garden hose was attached to the spigot, so it was immediately clear to me that as I turned the corner of her house she was going to spray me in a surprise attack. My timing had to be perfect - I had to let the balloon fly just as I rounded the corner in order to soak her before she could react to squeeze the handle on the hose.

My timing was perfect: The water balloon was just leaving my hands as I rounded the corner, but instead of Stacey standing there, it was her mother, Jo, innocently going outside to check her garden! It was too late. The big balloon hit her nose, chin, and top of her chest in an explosion of water, drenching her face to waist.

Stacey stood at the door of her house behind her mother wide eyed and uttering an audible gasp. I froze in horror. It was then the air was split with a scream by Stacey's mom: "OH YOU Johnny Fenn what are you doing?! You come right here young man we are taking this to your mother!"

The whole counsel

Jo was short and heavy, but strong, and at this stage of growth I was already at least as tall as she was. She had a grip on my right arm a bull dog would have been proud of as we marched to my house.

There we stood, short little fat Jo, drenched head to waist, me at age 10 with downcast eyes, and my mom holding back her laugh as Jo rambled on at 110 decibels about how I attacked her.

My mom knew me. She immediately knew I had not maliciously nor purposely attacked Jo, and once Jo calmed down she realized it too. The reason is that they both knew me. I was a kid of my word and would never, ever, be disrespectful to my elders - and certainly never attack an adult with a water balloon.

I apologized soberly, but once the door was closed my mom and I had a good laugh and that was that. Three factors were involved: They knew my character, they knew my life (actions), and they knew me by my words. They looked at this one instance in time and measured it against the whole of my 10 years alive on planet earth. I had never disrespected my elders, had never lied, had never beaten anyone up - this single incident was such an exception to what they knew of me, it was clear it the whole thing was an accident.

Know the character

What my mother and Mrs. Spencer looked at was 'the whole counsel' of my life and words and actions, and that is why they instantly knew I had not purposely singled her out for a water balloon attack.

If we understand natural things like this, why is it we don't treat the Father and Lord Jesus the same way? Why do people pull a single scripture out of the Bible and say 'that's what God says' rather than look at His whole counsel as seen in the entirety of His life, words, and character?

Plead the blood?

Here is an example. Popularized by Kathryn Kuhlman in the 1960's and 70's and carried on in the charismatic movement of the 80's and 90's until it has become entrenched as gospel in some circles, is the practice of 'pleading the blood' when confronting demons. But is it what Jesus and the apostles taught and practiced? Does that belief stand against the 'whole counsel of God'?

What Jesus said and did
"And there was in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out...And Jesus rebuked him by saying; 'Be quiet and come out of him."' Mark 1:23-25

"You deaf and dumb spirit, come out of him and enter him no more." Mark 9:25

"And they brought to Him a man unable to talk, who had a demon. And when the demon was cast out the man spoke." Matthew 9:32-33

"And when He had called to Himself the 12 disciples He gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out." "And they returned with joy saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us through your name!'" Luke 9:1; 10:17

"And these signs will follow those who believe in my name; they will cast out demons..." Mark 16:16-17

"But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit; 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!'"  Acts 16:18

So there you have it - that's the Word. Simply command the spirit to leave in the name of Jesus. Space doesn't allow me to list all the gospel passages, but they consistently say the same thing, that we are to just speak to demons and command them to leave. Period.

The purpose for the blood of Jesus, what the Word says
"Whom God put forward before the eyes of all as a mercy seat and (appeasing) by His blood, the life giving and cleansing sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation..." Romans 3:25

"Since we are justified by Christ's blood..." Romans 5:9

"He took the cup and said, 'This cup is the New Covenant ratified and established with my blood.'" I Corinthians 11:25

"In whom we have redemption through His blood..." Colossians 1:14

"He went...into the Holy of Holies of heaven...by His own blood, having secured a complete redemption for us..." Hebrews 9:25

"You were purchased with the precious blood of Christ..." I Peter 1:19

What the error says
The error that has been exalted above what the Word of God says, is that we may appropriate the precious and holy blood of Jesus which was poured out for us 2,000 years ago on the cross to pay for sin, to now (merely) ward off demons. As you can see above, the blood of Jesus had 1 use - to pay for our sin.

We may be 'covered' by the blood of Jesus, for we are born again, that much is true. But everywhere in scripture the blood of Jesus is elevated as holy and sacred an reverenced as the payment for sin. No where in the scripture does it teach nor do we see Christians appropriating that blood to fight demons.

Now you have a choice to make if you have believed 'pleading the blood' is a scriptural way of dealing with demons. You must think. You must weigh what Jesus taught about casting out demons by commanding them in His name, how He trained the disciples, how they followed His instructions to get rid of demonic attack, and add in the whole of God's counsel on what the blood of Sacrifice was for in chapter and verse, against what you have believed. Do you dig in your heels or do you adjust what you believe to the Word?

Talking straight, blunt, fact, not to hurt feelings
Consider - many write me asking why they don't have wonderful spiritual experiences, why doesn't God open their eyes to see demons and angels. I don't have all the answers, but consider this:

Have you ever had a teenager or friend who believes differently about life or an event, and you try to talk to them about the reality of what happened but are limited in what you can share because they stick to their version of events? What you can share with them is limited. The same with Jesus and us if we stick to believing something that isn't what He said or did or taught, He must withhold revelation and information because we hang on to our version rather than the truth.

If Jesus appeared to you and talked to you about the angelic and demonic realm, could you understand what He was saying, because what He would teach you would be what He taught in the gospels and practiced there. Could He trust you, or do you have so many layers of erroneous understanding you either wouldn't understand the pure Word or you'd filter it through that error in your thinking and mess up the visitation?

Today's points: The whole counsel of God and the Word over anyone else. Know His character, His actions, His Word. Be willing to change what you believe if it isn't chapter and verse.

Hope I didn't burst too many water balloons on people, but if you know me, you'll know it wasn't done maliciously, for the whole of my life, teachings, and practice will bear this out. Next week more nitty gritty teaching on how you may be entrusted of the Lord with greater revelation,

blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org