How Many Plates Are You Spinning?

As a kid growing up, I remember seeing the juggler who would spin plates. They would place an individual plate on a thin stick and spin it; then repeat this process over and over. Periodically they had to return to a previous plate and give it an extra spin to keep them from falling off the stick. So the idea was to see how many plates they could keep spinning before one fell and broke.

Do you ever feel like this juggler? We all have our plates: jobs (sometimes multiple plates here), spouses, kids, friends, spirituality, hobbies and the list goes on. It seems our lives can get to the place we are running from plate to plate, giving it just enough to keep it spinning, then run to the next one. Unfortunately, there is a limit to how many plates we can spin and how long we can keep spinning. How do you know those limits? It is when the plate falls and breaks.

One of the first plates that usually breaks is our spiritual relationship; we find that we are either do not “have” time or are too tired. Matthew 13, Jesus speaks the parable of the sower. In this story, seed is sown on four types of soil: hard, stony, thorny and good. The applicable part to us now is the thorny soil. It states that the seed begins to grow, but then thorns grow around it and choke it out. In verse 22, Jesus gives the insights of this scenario: The seed is the word of God (consider it our spirituality) and he defines the thorns as “the cares of life” and the “deceitfulness of riches.”

The application could be something like this; the “cares of life” are the “things” we are busy doing just to live. They are not necessarily evil or sin, but the are so time consuming they produce pressure or stress on us. It is the never ending list of social engagements, the multiple practices for various sports or arts performances, the non-stop business meetings we believe are necessary, and the list goes on and on. Add to this the laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, yard work, car maintenance etc. All these add up to the care or weight of daily living.

The “deceitfulness of riches” are the wealth and “things” we think we need to possess. We ceaselessly pursue them because we believe they will some how satisfy, complete or fulfill who we are. (Now i know we may not say this, but it is really what we think deep down.) In fact there is a whole industry that their purpose is to show us how we are not complete unless drive certain cars, wear the right clothes, use the latest technology, drink or eat the “in” foods or use the certain cosmetics or personal hygiene products.

What makes these deceitful, is that we think we need them (we rationalize) and once they are obtained, the expected fulfillment is short lived, so we move on to the next. We are always pursuing that mirage on the horizon.

Jesus warns that these two things choke out our spirituality because they become the focus of our daily lives. The consume our time, energy and focus, leaving us at the end of the day, maybe even a life, exhausted and empty.

The answer - reevaluate our purpose. Refocus on Him and His purpose. When you are in alignment with what He created you for, you can learn to say no. You will not be consumed with the mundane of life and your fulfillment or completeness will come from Him.

Our Job Description

Many people today are wondering what their life is all about. They are looking for something that gives them a purpose, a meaning, a reason to get up in the morning. This is very common among Christians: many are wondering what is their part in the kingdom of heaven.

In our previous post, we revealed that Adam's purpose was to be the representational image of God to creation. Unfortunately his disobedience disqualified him from that position. Thankfully, God had a plan to restore mankind.

Jesus Christ, as the last Adam, came as the visible image of an invisible God. However, he was more than an image, he was representational of the invisible God. In John 17:6 Jesus states; “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world:” According to Vines, manifested is a verb that means; "to make visible, clear, manifest," Thayer's says it is making visible or known “what has been hidden or unknown, whether by words, or deeds” (emphasis added). A verb is an action word. Jesus came making an invisible God more than visible; he came to make him knowable by demonstration.

Just as the scripture shows us that the first and last Adams were each to be a representational image of an invisible God, so we who are born again are to be representational. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:10 that we “have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (emphasis added). We have been born again to a new nature, one that includes His representational image.

As His body, the church is to manifest Jesus Christ to this dark and confused world. However, we are not to just present an image of a good moral life, we have been authorized to conduct business as representatives of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. We are to walk in His delegated authority as we demonstrate to this world what His kingdom will be like. By manifestation and representation, we reveal to this world there is something better. We reveal to them that there is a King and He is coming with His kingdom and His name is Jesus!

What a privilege, what an honor, what a responsibility. We are chosen to ACT as the representative of the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings! Praise God!

The Real Deal

(this is our most recent Ezine, Apostolic notes)

One day, while at my favorite office (Starbucks) I overheard a conversation of two acquaintances discussing church and youth. There are those who state we live in pre-Christian culture today: the majority of society understanding very little about Christianity. A lack of Bible knowledge has led to a bag of mixed behaviors, many contradictory, all under the label of Christian. The result of these behaviors has produced a generation of young people who are cynical.

When you say to our youth of today, “you need to come to church,” their response is often “why?” Now the older generation would think this is a rebellious attitude. However, it is a sincere and honest question that needs to be answered. Why would they want to come to your church?

Let’s look at the reason for the question. Today's youth have a very good reason to be cynical. They are the product of a generation who’s goal was the acquisition of material things. Subsequently, these families suffered a higher divorce rate, these young people were “latchkey kids” overlooked by their parents as wealth and power were sought. The material things failed to fulfill the need of the young people for love and acceptance. Also, this generation has witnessed the failure of prominent individuals in society. In almost every arena; ministry, government, business, sports and entertainment, we see the fall of those that were considered role models. These figures, who previous generations would look to, have let down the younger generation. Therefore trust is severely lacking.

So this generation has a right to ask Why?

How does this apply to the church? First, the church is not a building, organization or even a local assembly. The church is people: those who have been called out of darkness to reveal a spiritual kingdom and it’s King. This translates into the fact that for the church to be attractive to this generation, WE must act in a way that reveals we are DIFFERENT.

This difference is not in our music style, how we dress for service, how the facilities are decorated or any other cosmetic aspect. This difference must be demonstrated in our DAILY LIVES.

1. How much do I act like Jesus?
2. How much power do I exhibit?
3. Do I resist the temptations of this world?
4. Do I tell the truth?
5. Do I take a stand even when the crowd is going in another direction?
6. Do I exhibit a love and acceptance of people like Jesus did?

Jesus’ first message was: “Repent : for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). The original text for kingdom means “royal power, dominion, rule” (Vine’s/Thayer’s). Jesus’ first message was that there is a dominion or rule from heaven that has come near. But He just didn’t preach about it, He demonstrated it: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matt 4:23). Jesus did not have a problem attracting people to his ministry. He did not use the latest fad or marketing program. He demonstrated what He preached. He demonstrated the power that was within Him.

I submit to you that the answer to the cynicism of today’s young person is the demonstration of the “dominion, rule and power” of heaven in our daily lives. Let’s make Jesus real.

Food for thought:
How do I demonstrate Kingdom dominion in my life?

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His First Message

Yesterday I began reading the Gospels again, this time from a specific mindset: I wanted to see beyond what I believe is a typical mindset. It seems that the common view of theses book is to present the story of Jesus coming, death, resurrection and how it can be made applicable to our lives. In short, it is about how He created a way of heaven for us. This concept simplifies it to the point that we are purchasing fire insurance or a ticket to some destination.

However, for a while now, I have felt there was more to it than just providing an escape for us. Some of my basis for this is the first message Jesus preached, found in Matthew 4:17. It states that" from that time (a point of beginning) Jesus began to preach and say 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Notice what He did not say: "repent, confess, believe or be born again and get ready to go to heaven."

The focus of His message was to change your thinking (look up the definition of repent) because the rule, dominion or realm (look up the definition of kingdom) of a spirit realm is here. Jesus first message was one of dominion, authority or power. He then proceeded to demonstrate this kingdom by manifesting it's power.

• Matt 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Jesus proceeded to demonstrate the authority of His kingdom over the kingdom of this world. Further, in John 17:18, Jesus states that as he was sent into the world, he was sending us. We are to continue to fulfill the mission He started of calling others into His kingdom.

Till next time
martin