Upon This Rock, Pt. 2

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples,

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

And they said;

"Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."

He said to them,

"But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter answered,

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

And Jesus said to him,

"Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

Our Lord makes a very interesting statement to Peter when He says,

"Simeon do you know how truly fortunate, favored and consecrated you are?! You are so blessed that from now on I think I'll call you Rocky! Do you have any idea why you're so blessed Peter? It's not because you just parroted some memorized creed back to me. It's not because you joined my discipleship group. You didn't just "learn" this in Sunday School. It's not something you just figured out on your own - but you are blessed because you have received a revelation of who I am and you received it directly from My Father who is in heaven"

Peter thought to himself, "How cool is that?! I don't know how come, or why - BUT I GET IT, Lord! You're the Messiah, God's King, the 'Consolation of Israel', the Anointed One, the Christos, the Son of the Living God! Hallelujah!"

When I read Peter's response to our Lord, I just can't help being reminded of the film, As Good As It Gets. In one of my favorite scenes, Melivn (Jack Nicholson) - a loud, brash, obnoxious obsessive compulsive patron of the restaurant says to Carol (Helen Hunt) - a waitress and struggling single mother of a chronically sick child:

"I might be the only person on the face of the earth that knows you're the greatest woman on earth. I might be the only one who appreciates how amazing you are in every single thing that you do, and how you are with (your son) Spencer, "Spence", and in every single thought that you have, and how you say what you mean, and how you almost always mean something that's all about being straight and good. I think most people miss that about you, and I watch them, wondering how they can watch you bring their food, and clear their tables and never get that they just met the greatest woman alive. And the fact that I 'get it' makes me feel good, about me."

Melvin, like Peter, received a vision, a revelation or epi gnosis (greek). In Greek gnosis refers to knowledge. This is the word from which was derived the term Gnostics. who were a early heretical sect that claimed special or secret spiritual knowledge. EPI (meaning - upon) and GINOSIS (meaning - knowledge), hence 'upon knowledge' or superimposed knowledge. It implies detailed knowledge that is 'received' rather than learned.

This is what we mean by a revelation (epignosis), a seeing, an unveiling of something that was hidden from view, something others do not or cannot 'see' - a spiritual insight!

As John Newton wrote, "I once was blind but now I see."

Jesus IS building His church, His ekklesia, His congregation, whether we recognize it or not! It is not being built upon the shifting sands of public opinion or educational theory. It is not built upon some theological position, a religious creed or statement of faith. It is not built upon some new spiritual Guru or your or my religious experiences. Jesus' church is not built upon some great prophet, charismatic leader or visionary. It is not built upon some sacred book, religious writing, or oral tradition.

The Church which Jesus is building - out of living stones - is built upon a single revelation. It is a revelation of who He, Jesus Christ IS and upon that revelation it is being built up one person at a time!

So only one question remains.

"Who do YOU say that I am?"

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Signs of the Times

Americans are always interested in predicting the weather. Major Television stations pay mega bucks to procure the services of skilled and charismatic weather prognosticators. As a young man growing up in Michigan, I remember a weatherman whose popularity was unmatched. His name was Sonny Elliott. So popular was he, that he is now enshrined in the Weatherman's Hall of Fame. To be honest, I don't remember if his weather predictions were at all accurate. Actually, it really didn't matter. Sonny Elliott's popularity was because he was so very funny and entertaining.

In God's economy He has ordained that there be prognosticators. They are called prophets! Unlike Sonny Elliott and despite their accuracy, they have never been very popular with God's people. The truth is that most prophets are neither funny nor entertaining! Beginning with Noah "a preacher of righteousness" prophetic voices have enjoyed little or no popularity! One commonly heard prophetic greeting is "Oh no! Here comes Mr Doom and Gloom!"

For many years prophetic voices have been warning us concerning the coming worldwide depression. From Willard Cantelon's The Day the Dollar Dies and The New World Money System published in the 1970's to David Wilkerson's The Vision (1973) and The coming Economic Collapse, there have been many prophetic voices warning us concerning the times in which we now live.

Although I meet many people who prefer to remain in denial concerning the economic crisis we face, it does not take a prophet to discern the signs of the times. They are readily evident. The headlines in papers like the Wall Street Journal chronicle the growing world wide dilemma. Headlines decry worsening stock markets, real estate markets, the collapse of Wall Street investment banks, bank failures, disappearing jobs, massive layoffs, corporate and personal bankruptcies, record foreclosures, and the clamoring for "Federal Bailouts" by faltering big business. The 2008 Christmas season posted the worst retail sales figures in 30 years. The word recession has faded into oblivion and the word depression is now freely spoken in the media.

Despite the signs of the times (even the New York Times) many choose to listen to the false prophets of peace and prosperity - ease and comfort and bury their heads in the sands of apathy - choosing to pretend that all is well and as it has been. Countless Americans are convinced that some miraculous cure will come from the sacred halls of Washington DC or that the new president and Democratic majority will somehow solve all our problems by borrowing and spending our way into prosperity. Some cling to the hope that God will favor America, intervene in the affairs of men and rescue us with a celestial bailout package. Others I meet seem to think that of course "Christians" will be spared and will continue to live in ease and comfort performing above a safety net of divine protection. "Woe unto those who are at ease in Zion."

Despite the headlines, there are other signs of the times which give me great hope and cause my heart to leap for joy. First and foremost I see a growing spiritual hunger in America.!! I also see many formerly 'marginal believers' searching for a more meaningful relationship with our Lord and with one another. In his book Revolution, George Barna talks of the millions of Christians who have left the "institutional church" - not because they have lost their faith but because they are searching for a deeper, more meaningful and personal faith. Many confess that they are looking for a true encounter with the living God and an experience of true "christian community".

I am also seeing an increased interest in prayer; with new prayer groups springing up daily. I find believers on their knees calling out to the Lord for revival in America and in our world. Recently in Atlanta, Georgia and in Greenock, Scotland there were conferences to which believers came from all over the world, to pray, to repent and seek God for a spiritual awakening! There is indeed a fresh wind beginning to blow in America.

I am thrilled to see the emergence of new Kindgom paradigms that are focused, not just on some new corporate worship experience but which are fixated on justice, preaching the gospel to the poor and going into the highways and byways to demonstrate the love and grace of God to a fallen world. I see young people who are presenting their bodies, their entire lives, 24/7, to God's service as an act of worship! I see God raising up young men of God like Shane Claiborne to inspire the hearts of young Christians to sacrificial loving service, to caring for God's poor and to remindong us old white guys what being a follower of Jesus really looks like!

The greatest sign I see is the one predicted by our Lord Himself - the sign of the prophet Jonas - a cacophany of prophetic voices calling for repentance and a genuine turning of our hearts to God! I am moved and encouraged by the clear clarion call from men like Paul Washer who in brokenness are crying out to the church to return to it's first love, to holiness, to bearing much fruit and to loving each other! Many are responding to that call! Halelleuia!

Although there are indeed signs in the natural of impending disaster, I want to encourage each of you NOT to fix your eyes on the signs of the times - BUT turn your eyes upon JESUS the author and finisher of our faith! Therein lies our only hope! Let us be listening for His sweet voice! Let us seek Him for guidance and direction in these troubled times. Most of all, let us remember that in this dark hour we have GOOD NEWS to share - the Good News of God in Jesus Christ!! Let us also be watching and waiting for His return!

Maranatha! Come soon Lord Jesus!