I’ve named this blog “An Open Journal”, and that’s exactly what I intend for it to be; a place for me to put some of my crazy thoughts to paper, and for you to read them once they are there.  You’ll see a variety of different posts here…some writing, some music, some pics & video.  Basically this will be a collection of sights, sounds, and words that move me, or just strike me as funny :-)

It’s an “open” journal in that, I’d love for the posts here to start discussions among the people who read them.  A good portion of what’s posted here will concern Christian life, spirituality and ministry.  I’m a firm believer that “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17); so, I always welcome your thoughts and comments; let me know what you think!!

One quick disclaimer…I may write about some controversial topics from time to time.  Concerning scriptural or spiritual subjects, if anything you read here falls outside what your pastor teaches, please disregard it!!  Listen to your pastor’s teaching, and submit to his leadership…for he watches for your soul. (Heb. 13:17)  Also, know that I am submitted to my spiritual authorities as well, and they will have blessed and given their approval to all that you read here.

If you’d like to subscribe via RSS, just click on the orange button to the right of the menu bar, then bookmark the feed page that opens.  You’ll then be notified of new posts as soon as they become available.  If you are a new reader, leave me a comment to let me know you stopped by…I’d love to hear from you!!

Thanks again for reading my blog.  Best blessings to you all…

-Jereme

Usually, the first thing that happens when I get to Texas is the rapid consumption of large amounts of tex-mex (which is not to be confused with “mexican food”…tex-mex is a cuisine all it’s own).  So tonight, we will be meeting Auntie Tiff for dinner at Pappasito’s.

It may be hard for some to understand my addiction to, and desperate need for, tex-mex…especially if said person did not grow up in central Texas, then relocate to Tennessee.  While we’re extremely happy in TN, there are approximately two things that we miss about TX:  Auntie Tiff…and tex-mex.  You see, the population in Texas is 36% Hispanic…the population in Tennessee is 3.5% Hispanic.  You do the math…  3.5% = no tex-mex.

Jill says she misses the tortillas the most.  Texas tortillas are not like other tortillas.  For starters, they were made less than 2 weeks before you purchase them at the store.  In Tennessee, apparently folks think you are supposed to age tortillas like cheese or wine…this is not a good idea.  Second, Texas tortillas, the really good ones, have a very fine coating of flour on the outside.  This is a sign that they are homemade…you want that flour on your tortillas, trust me.

But freshness is really the key when it comes to tortillas.  People in Tennessee must think I’m nuts, watching me as I’m sifting through the packages of tortillas, pressing on them to see which ones are the softest (the soft ones are freshest).  One of the things I never really noticed about Texas (until I was subjected to 14-day old TN tortillas), is that in Texas, most grocery stores have a dedicated “tortilla lady”.  Her sole duty is to make fresh tortillas every day.  You can always buy a tortilla that’s literally “hot off the press”.

Today I thought about the tortilla lady, and how much I always took her for granted when I lived in Texas.  I barely noticed her when I had all the fresh tortillas I could want.  But now that the tortillas are gone, I miss her like she was part of the family.

This proves two things: 

1) I am sometimes a selfish individual, who does not appreciate what he has until it’s gone.

2) Familiarity is the enemy of Appreciation.

And it makes me wonder how many other things in life I take for granted, but would miss if they were suddenly taken from me:  Oxygen, Socks, Toothpaste, Paper, Remote Control, Soap, Virgil’s Rootbeer, Computers, Luggage, Air Conditioning, Freedom, Chairs, Friendship, Trash Bags, Light Bulbs, Straws, Door Knobs, Doctors, Pillows, Prayer, Rain, Sight, Scripture, Forgiveness, Caffeine, Reading, Refrigerators, Grocery Stores, Paved Roads, Running Water, Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc………….

It is easy for blessed people to long for what they do not have…and forget how much they’ve already got.  We all have a “tortilla lady”…things that we love, but do not necessarily appreciate.  Until they are gone…….

We have much to be grateful for.  Think about it…

 . . . 

I’m not sure what to expect.  One thing I do feel is that simplicity will play a large part in what God does next.  Seems like sometimes we get in our own way, and I think He’s going to help change that…

Why?  Because He has always been about getting rid of the red tape between us and Him; He has always wanted to simplify the relationship…that’s what He died for.

Sometimes less is more.

. . .

I think the reason for this is very simple: people.  If a revival occurs, it is made up of two main ingredients; The Spirit of God…and people.  Now, if a distortion/error/mistake occurs…it certainly isn’t coming from the Spirit of God…which only leaves one option: people.    I know someone out there will say, “what about the devil? it could be coming from him.”  But I think we give the enemy far too much credit most of the time; we usually do such a good job of messing up God’s plans, that he rarely has to intervene.

Here is why I think the error comes from us…  Anything that passes through a human filter/conduit will have imperfection imparted to it.  If you don’t believe me, just try to find the perfect local church to join.  Or, try to find the perfect husband, or the perfect wife.  Or, try to make a perfect golf swing (even Tiger Woods can’t…)  Or, try to go one week without committing a single sin…  Do you see my point now?  Everything we are, everything we do, everything we touch, will be tainted by imperfection in some way…we cannot keep from making a mistake, though we may try with all that is in us.  The only hope is for God to take what we offer up in imperfection, and cause it to become perfect.

Anything that involves people will involve at least some degree of imperfection; and revival certainly gets it’s share…  With all that said, I’ll start on my list of ways in which I think we misuse revival.

The first is an honest mistake, and one that I think we make with the best of intentions.  It is when we try to use revival as a means of evangelism.  You see, what we call revival here in the good ‘ole southern USA is not necessarily the same thing that is found in scripture.  To most of us who grew up in denominational churches here in America, revival is a series of meetings that are held (usually for several nights in a row) in an effort to “reach the lost”, or “win souls”.  My friend Jacob brought this up in a comment on my first post concerning revival.

Remember the point I made last time?  Revival is something that God does in and to the church, in response to prayer & repentance.  Here is what I’m driving at…  A revival is not something that you hold, it is something that God pours out.  And He pours it out in the church.  The reason He pours it out in the church, is that He has a purpose to accomplish…and it will be accomplished through us.

I have used the analogy of a married couple several times now in describing the relationship between God & the church, and I’ll turn to it again here.  Let me ask you this…If a couple were having marital problems, and were trying to work out their differences, do you think it would be a good idea to bring children to the counseling sessions?  No?  Then why would we want to invite unbelievers to a true revival?  “Come to the revival!  Come watch us Christians cry and wail, and groan in agony over the mess we have made of our relationship with God.”  Doesn’t sound like the best outreach tactic does it?

You see, there are stages to a revival, just like there are stages to the healing of a relationship.  And in the beginning it’s all about coming clean with each other; it’s a lot of very direct, very honest, very mature things.  And it’s not something that anyone outside the relationship needs to see…it simply would not be edifying to them.  

The second stage is much more appealing, and I think this is the point at which we begin to make our mistakes.  The second stage in the healing of the relationship is a time of reconnecting, or “making up”, if you will.  There has been forgiveness for the mistakes at this point, and the relationship is in a time of renewal & refreshing.  Back to the married couple…this is when they are more in love than ever, feeling things for each other they have not felt in years, doing things they have not done in years…if you catch my meaning :-)  Again, not a good time for children to be present.  In revival terms, this is the point at which the supernatural begins to occur; there may be healings, miracles, prophecies, words of knowledge, deliverance, etc.  The services will feel electric at this point, the presence of God will be almost tangible.  And there very well may be things going on that could easily confuse, or even frighten unbelievers that are present.

Does that mean that I think those manifestations of the Spirit are wrong, out of order, or unscriptural?  Absolutely not. (and I’ll explain why in another post)  But I think that trying to use them as a means of evangelism is a bit like trying to use calculus to introduce a child to mathematics.  The poor kid would be overwhelmed and intimidated…not to mention the fact that he wouldn’t have a firm grasp of the basics.  

I think what happens is that we get the proverbial “cart before the horse”.  What is happening during “stage 2″, is that the church is being equipped and prepared to accomplish the mission that God has for it.  Instead, we want to invite unbelievers to come and see the miracles, etc., in hopes that they would see them and become believers.  We think that if we can just get them to a meeting, and have some supernatural feat pulled off in front of them, that they will fall in love with Jesus, and become good, fruitful Christians.  The reality is that they will probably think we are all crazy, and have lost our minds, long before they ever have the chance to see a miracle or anything else.

We actually use the second stage of revival as a kind of “marketing tool”.  We stick footage from our meetings on TV, but what does it actually accomplish?  True, it may be a blessing to Christians who may watch and be encouraged/inspired, but often it just ends up becoming a kind of spiritual pornography.  We take things that are sacred & intimate, and use them to try and draw a crowd.  When intimacy is used to further an agenda, it ceases to be intimate.  Revival was not meant to be marketed…to do so only cheapens it.  In fact, Jesus almost always commanded people not to tell anyone about the miracles He performed. (Mt. 8:4; Mk. 1:43-45; Mk. 5:43; Mk. 7:36; Mk. 8:26; Lk. 5:14-15; Lk. 8:56)

When we try to market the miraculous, what we are really doing is shirking our responsibility to evangelize.  What is really going on during “stage 2″ is that God is empowering us to accomplish our mission…which is to “Go and make disciples of all the nations”. (Mt. 28:19)  So revival is really just the beginning; what God is aiming at is much more than just a revival.  He is empowering His people to “Do the work of an evangelist”. (2 Tim. 4:5)  It is interesting to note that “evangelist” means “to bring good news”.  The word “Bring” is the key there…just as the word “Go” is the key in Mt. 28:19. 

What God is implying here is that evangelism is not about drawing a crowd; it is about going to the crowd.  Here is the point: evangelism is not done within the walls of the church…it is done in the streets, in restaurants, coffee shops, and homes.  And it is done through an ongoing relationship…disciples are not made in a day.  We were never commanded to facilitate meetings that showcase the supernatural, in hopes of wowing people into loving Jesus.  We also, (believe it or not) were never commanded to “win souls”.  We were commanded, however, to Go and bring them the good news of the gospel, and then teach them until they become disciples.

Here is a kind of “formula” that may be helpful to you; if it isn’t, then pay it no mind… “Revival is not evangelism…evangelism is not revival.  Revival can and should result in evangelism, but it should never be used as evangelism.”  When we use revival as evangelism, we are doing just that…”using” it for our own purposes, and it is doubtful that we’ll make many disciples that way.

I’ll end by giving a reminder that these are just my thoughts/opinions…I don’t claim to be “right” about all of this.  I know it may seem like random thoughts and vented frustration, but there is a point…I am headed somewhere with all of this.  I believe that God has a purpose for revival, that is much bigger than revival itself…

Until next time…

Blessings,

-Jereme

. . .

“God never told the sinner to go to church, He told the Church to go to the sinner.”

-Kenneth Phillips

“We should have church in a barn and build The Church in the fields. The barn is where we work on our tractors and sometimes that gets a little messy. The Church as we know it, has been continuously guilty of getting oil and grease mixed in with our harvest grain.”

-Mark Briggs

“If a revival does nothing but revive the Church, it has accomplished much. Souls being saved will result in a far greater magnitude than if we try to steer the revival to make it an evangelistic campaign.”

-Rick Joyner

Taking a minute to say thank you to God…

For the moment I’m living in right now; for twilight in Tennessee, watching the fireflies wink…

For the most wonderful family a man could ever ask for; a beautiful, loving, precious wife…and a baby girl that could not be more perfect.

For community, and great friends that live just down the road…

For allowing me to be part of an incredible ministry team that bears much fruit for Him…

For allowing me to enjoy the incredible gift of music, and playing it for Him; for allowing me to live things that I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid…

For just being Who He is…and caring enough to hang out with me here in the twilight, watching the fireflies wink…

. . .

The first is a very positive view of these movements; these are the folks who agree with most, or all of what is taking place, and would even like to see similar movements taking place in their churches/cities.  The second view is one of dissent; these folks take issue with some, or all of the things they see taking place in the revivals, and for the most part, think the whole thing is crazy and weird.  What strikes me as odd, is the fact that both groups of people have the exact same goal…they all want Christ to become a real part of people’s lives, and to see His Kingdom come.  

And that is why I am writing on the subject of revival; because I believe that the realization of that goal is found somewhere between the two camps.  I have dear friends in both groups, people that I highly respect.  But, as so often happens, I am finding myself the “odd man out”, with nothing left to do but explain myself, and start a discussion that will hopefully bring unity & clarity, at least to the small group of people who may read this…

Before I go any further, I want to say that your pastor should be the spiritual authority in your life, and his teaching should be the final answer on subjects such as these.  If anything I say here should fall out of line with what your pastor teaches, please disregard it!!  Listen to your pastor’s teaching, and submit to his leadership…for he watches for your soul. (Heb. 13:17)  Also, know that I am submitted to my spiritual authorities as well, and they will have blessed and given their approval to all that you read here.

As I said in my first post, these writings on revival are intended to spark a discussion; they are not meant to be a soapbox for me to shout my opinions from…so, as always, I welcome your thoughts and comments.

. . .

Diving right in…let’s revisit a couple of basics.  First I want to reiterate a point that I made in my first post…the fact that the word “revival” is not used in scripture; it simply is not found anywhere within the pages of the Bible.  Immediately someone from the dissenting camp will try to use that fact to say, “See, it’s all fake, it’s not even in the Bible”.  Well, that isn’t exactly the case; just because the word “revival” isn’t used, doesn’t mean that the basic premise of what we know as revival can’t be found.  In fact, the opposite is true…the premise of what we know as “revival” is found throughout the Bible, for example, Psalm 85:6-13.

The point I’m trying to make is this: while the premise/basic idea of revival can be found in the Bible…it is far from being a recurring, predominant theme.  Basically what I’m saying is, I think we probably make a bigger deal out of revival than God does.  And I definitely think that we misuse it and take it out of context.  Now don’t freak out on me after that last statement…I’m going to explain myself.  In order to better understand what I mean, we’ll have to take a closer look at what revival actually is.

If there is a “revival”, it means that something is being “revived”.  The definition of revive is: “to return to consciousness or life; to become active or flourishing again.”  Revival is the bringing back to life of something that has been “dead”.  Make sure you catch that…in order to be revived, something must have first been “alive”, and then died in some way.  Here is the point: revival is for the Church.  It is something that God does in/to the Church, in response to prayer and repentance. (Deut. 30:1-6; 2 Chron. 7:14-15)  Think of it as a second honeymoon, after a bumpy time in the relationship.  It is a resurrection/revitalizing of the relationship between God and His people…which, if sustained, will lead to much, much more. (but I’m getting ahead of myself…that’s for another post)

Now, about why I think we like revival more than God does…  It’s very simple really; if there is a revival, it is because a group of His people has let their relationship with Him decrease, or even die.  I just don’t think He enjoys that.  I think He would rather not have to revive us…  I think He would prefer that we maintain the relationship, or even make it better, rather than letting the “fire burn out”.  I’ll turn to the analogy of a married couple again; sure, making up after a fight can be great…but wouldn’t it be better to have skipped the fight all together?  This is why I think the idea of revival isn’t extremely prevalent in scripture; I don’t think God wants to keep repairing the relationship between us & Him…I think He wants it to be healthy, fruitful, and enduring.  I think He would rather not have to send revival at all…

Confused yet?  Probably so; I sure have been…  I can hear the questions right now, “But I thought revival was good…thought God loved it?” or, “Does that mean the churches where the revivals are happening left God?” or, “What about the people who are saved during revival?” or, “What about the miracles?”  All very good questions, but they’ll have to be answered in the next post…this one is getting waaay too long :-)

I can hear the cheers from the “anti-revival” crowd, and I can hear the grumbles from the “pro-revival” folks…  So for now,let me end with this.  Make no mistake…I am not calling for the Fire to be put out, merely for the wood to be arranged so that it will burn longer and brighter.

Until next time…

Blessings,

-Jereme

On June 4th, God changed everything…

On June 4th, God changed me…

On June 4th, I really saw Him for the first time…

On June 4th, I realized how small I am, and how Endless He is…

On June 4th, I experienced true worship for the first time…

On June 4th, I saw what can happen when Heaven & Earth meet…

On June 4th, I experienced what Christianity without religion can be…

On June 4th, I saw the difference that one man can make…

On June 4th, I saw lives transformed for all of eternity in one instant…

On June 4th, I stopped wanting to be a preacher, and started wanting to please Him…

On June 4th, I caught a glimpse of the Kingdom…

. . .

Since June 4th, I am no longer satisfied with church as usual…

Since June 4th, hype no longer moves me…

Since June 4th, I understand that the Fruit of the Spirit is more important than the Gifts of the Spirit…

Since June 4th, I have realized that Reformation is mightier than Revival…

Since June 4th, I see that people are not running from God, they’re running from us…

Since June 4th, I better understand how tragic the fall of man was…

Since June 4th, I love God more than I ever thought possible…

Since June 4th, I know what it is to long for Heaven…

Since June 4th, I know that He longs for us…

Since June 4th, I view the world through different eyes…

Since June 4th, I will never be the same…

It seems that there is a resurgence of revival in the church as of late (it is interesting to note that the word “revival” is not used in the Bible).  Never the less, we must find a way to describe things, and the basic premise of revival does occur in scripture, so I don’t have a problem using the term.  Depending on your denominational background, the word “revival” may mean various different things, but a good, basic definition would be “an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit, producing extraordinary results, in which many lives are committed or re-committed to God, and He visits His people in a special way; touching their hearts and deepening His work of grace in their lives.”  

This is the first of several entries that I will be posting on the subject of revival; I welcome your comments/thoughts on all of this.  A lot of things can come with revival, both positive and negative.  During revival, it is important to keep things in their proper perspective; remaining open to anything that God may want to do, while maintaining our focus on it’s ultimate purpose…to bring people into relationship with God.  So, I thought it would be cool to share a few quotes from a respected leader, who also seems to be somewhat of an authority on the subject of revival.  Here are a few “hidden gems”…

“Revival is only one small part of the work of God.”

                                                    -Rick Joyner

“If we don’t love the still, small times alone with Him more than the glory, miracles, and great services…we have missed something.”    -Rick Joyner

“When the anointing level goes up, the accountability level goes up.  What you get away with in the Outer Court, you won’t get away with in the Holy of Holies.”    -Rick Joyner

Yep, that’s duct tape…and if you know what’s under the tape, you know why this is funny…

(thanks to Jody and his cousin for this pic)

Needless to say, the new house rocked; but not only did they build them a new home, they renovated their old house and turned it into a community center/homeless shelter…and bull-dozed all of the crack houses on the next street.  Very cool…  So, all of that really got me thinking, and a few things really struck a chord in me.  First, how cool and real this pastor was…I mean, he pretty much did what Jesus asked the rich young man to do in Matthew 19:21. Sold everything he had and went to minister to the poor.  And there he stands in the middle of this unbelievable house that God has just blessed him with, and he’s just stunned by this chair in the living room.  So happy with it, “I’ve never had a chair like this before…this is awesome.”  Surrounded by 3,500 square feet of rockin’ house, but he’s happy with just the chair…I’m pretty sure that’s why God decided to give him the whole house to go with it.  What a great guy; the world could use a few more pastors like him.

Second, I was reminded of how much God cares about people; the hungry, the thirsty, the lonely and the hopeless.  So much that he said, “whatever you do for them, you have done for Me.”  Not only that, but he calls them His brothers…the hungry, the lonely, the sick…He calls them His brothers.  Even the “least of them”… (Mt. 25:40) 

I also realized how very blessed I am, and how good God has been to Jill, Jules, myself and Dodger.  While we are far from wealthy, we don’t lack for anything.  We definitely have more than we deserve.  And seeing all of that tonight just makes me wonder if I do enough for others…if I’ve done enough for His brothers…even the least of them.

. . .