Power

"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him." Matthew 4:23-25

A few years ago, a friend of mine Eric Keck wrote a post on his blog where he asked a fairly simple question that went something like this: How can we address deep questions about what it means to be church and following Jesus without the power of the Spirit being part of the equation? At the time, I was a Vineyard person trying to make sense of my heritage and all of these questions at the same time. It was just too much to handle. I was so intellectually challenged during that period, it was difficult to grapple with how the power of the Spirit - revealed in healing, deliverance, the prophetic, etc. - would fit in with my new understanding of Christian community and discipleship. I had quite a bit of experience with praying for healing, the prophetic, and even a few instances deliverance of demonic spirits. But frankly, my experience with those things was primarily, if not exclusively, within a church context. What I mean is, I prayed for the sick during "ministry time" after church on Sundays. I gave and received prophetic words during small groups or other meetings. You get the picture. These things almost never happened outside the "four walls", at work or on the street, or in a way that was different than the expected practice.

While in Peru, I was reminded of the absolute necessity of God's power when it comes to the proclamation of the Kingdom in the world. The local pastors and leaders attending the conference had a million questions about the implications of the kingdom message on their churches and ministries. For example, the South American church is particularly tribal in nature. You hang with your denominational buddies, or in some cases, with those from your local church, and everyone else is held in suspicion. This is true in the North American church as well, but the dividing lines are much sharper in Peru. One of the messages God wanted to bring during the conference was that we are part of God's family, and therefore our denominational affiliations and local church connections take a back seat to the reality of our brotherhood and sisterhood. This message was preached several times, but the second night of the conference it was lived. During worship, God began drawing everyone together in a way that could only come from him. It was not a hyped up emotional thing, people yelling, screaming and giving high-fives or crap like that. It was gentle, like a blanket that covered everyone in attendance. Pretty soon, everyone was at the front of the room, worshipping, crying, praying for each other. I've been in meetings where the emotional high whipped everyone into a frenzy. This was different. God was doing something hidden and deep, repairing breaches in some walls and destroying others. I was happy just to be there witnessing it all.

Somewhere along the line, we've believed that true change occurs through the sharing of stories, the free exchange of ideas, and respectful debate. I've worked very hard in our local community and on this blog to maintain an environment where those things are possible. Yet, in the Kingdom, at some point we are left in a position where transformation can go no further without God's direct, supernatural intervention. If the Kingdom of God is the reign of God, where his will is done perfectly, then there are arenas where healthy debate is just not going to cut the mustard. Sometimes, we need the King to show up and set things straight.

We equate God's power with the spectacular, but most of the time his action is hidden and quiet. "Showing up to set things straight" might mean giving you the ability to love an enemy in a difficult situation, not just healing a blind eye or casting out a demon. But regardless, the Spirit's power makes the world take notice. The Kingdom is real whether we like to admit it or not. In this way, I believe it is absolutely essential to recognize God's work among us and with us as we interact with the world. "Practicing" while we get together is a good start - praying for each other, giving prophetic words, etc. But Jesus wasn't satisfied with his disciples just ministering to each other. He sent them out. How he sent them is fodder for another post. But for now, what's important is that he sent them - with his power and authority - to proclaim the Kingdom.