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The narrative of justice is like a stream. One should note, however, this flowing, ongoing promise is a wild ride. It doesn’t come with a remote control, nor will our snapping fingers or brewing impatience influence it’s currents or trajectory. Also, this metaphorical trickle of hope is seemingly full of rocks, with slow-rolling turns, and unforeseen things. Nevertheless, don’t despair, for the eyes of the sovereign one are watching over its motion; nothing will stop its coming.

Throughout the Holy Bible, the great author keeps on telling of His translucent nature. Those with a sanctified spirit will hear it in the pages. The subconscious secret is always there. It’s as if you’re alone, standing at the water when the wind rushes in and chases away your loneliness and comforts you with: “it’s ok now. There are no wolves here. It’s just us.”

That’s the moment the healing begins. It’s the moment you realize… the rocks weren’t in a river-bed, they were in your hand. And the lack of straightforward flow was really your own heart and soul that needed ironing. So, while you thought you were waiting on God’s gavel to come crushing down on your enemies’ heads, God was waiting for your mind to come to order; to be filled with grace.

John 2:19 NASB

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Jesus walked this earth and He changed the religious landscape, bringing a real paradigm shift to how people worship.

I long for this kind of change to shake up what we call church. I yearn for a paradigm shift to come restore and renew us back to something pure, real, simple, powerful, loving, and alive.

The old wine-skins are unchanging, un-stretchable. Maybe it’s time they burst (or burn).

I want to be sad about endangered relics and a beautiful, old building on fire. But, I’m not. I know that’s insensitive, but it’s honest.

Let the billionaires stitch that veil, and vestige back up if they want to. For me, on the other hand, I’m just wishing I could catch on fire too. No, I’m not meaning to use cheap cliches or flippant metaphors. I didn’t invent this language. Yes, maybe (probably) the verbiage has been cheapened. Nevertheless, if I prune and clip the dead trimmings all the way down to the quick, I think I’ll feel the real again.

We’ve got to have new wine. This generation is more desperate than it realizes for a taste of God.

Mike Bickle recently said, “we’ve got to have a RESET.” And, Francis Chan has been saying, “something has got to change. We can’t keep going as-is.”

I sense we are at one of those junctures where a new model, new idea is about to be realized.

In the life and times of Moses, worship drastically changed; God drew near and His people witnessed and experienced the holy…the supernatural.

In the life and times of David, worship drastically changed. The presence of God became the central, primary focus. The flame of glory was visible.

On the day of Pentecost, prayer and worship drastically changed. The wind, the sound, and the fire of Heaven suddenly manifested. God came so near that they could feel, hear, and see Him at work.

Consider: God worked through Moses to bring what was perhaps the mightiest, most organized civilization on the planet down to its crumbling knees.

Also: David was a replacementto what was supposed to be a highly-respected, normalized, ruling regime.

And: Much of the teaching that came from the New Testament Church was a dismantling of old, expired ways.

I pray that we hear, feel, and see Jesus in this hour, and we don’t miss our day of visitation.

Let the dead bury its own dead. There are too many dead churches, dead systems and dead organizations. I’m following Jesus.

As a very young man, Richard Marx was told by a mentoring producer that he shouldn’t sing. He told Marx that his voice was weak and nothing special and that he should stick to songwriting and maybe become a producer. It almost crushed him. Almost.

Remain humble, hard-working, and you.

Guard your art, and be prepared to resurrect it a thousand times. Dream-killers will stop you dead in your tracks, if you let them. Dare to become what God has dreamed you to be.

What is your art? It’s you. It’s your soul. It’s your insides..,the guts of who you are and the glory of your imagination on display.

Accordingly, your identity and your art are intertwined,

or —believe me— they long to be.

When Jimi Hendrix died, he had been busy working behind the scenes to correct his public image. He was bothered by the bad guy image that had been attributed to him and he wanted people to see and know the gentler, calmer, artsy-type personality that he felt was a more true reflection of himself. Ultimately, he died trying to be real; to purely own and convey his true identity.

The lesson here is, be you. Don’t feel like you always have to play a part. If you have to behave a certain way to fit in with a particular group of people, maybe you should stop trying so hard to fit in…with them or any other group. I, myself, am living this out right now. I’ve often felt like I didn’t really fit in. I’ve lived with the burden of trying to be normal and accepted. Today, I’m closer than I’ve ever been before at not caring too much about other’s opinions. I’m more comfortable these days with just being me, and I’m not pretending to be anything different than that. Jimi Hendrix reached this point, and I hope (if necessary) you do too.

I usually use the word artist in a generic way. When I say artist, I mean musician, singer, songwriter, painter, poet, or someone creative like that.

Being an artist means you aren’t normal. So… stop trying to be normal. Or, stop trying to be an artist. Trying to be both is

frustrating and exhausting.

The beauty and benefit of the Apostle’s office includes a favored, promoted leader who is well-rounded, driven by vision and mission, energetic, charismatic, and spiritually gifted. Hence, an Apostle has favor like Joseph, and is picked, called, or chosen like Matthias. An Apostle organizes, structures, networks, travels, communicates, preaches, serves, and brings the supernatural to a specific part, place, or emphasis of the Body. Apostles also have a heart to train, impart, and equip.

The beauty and benefit of the Prophet’s office includes a mystic-like, sanctified person who sees, hears, and has connections and feelings that are absolutely spiritual. The prophet receives information from Heaven in boundless ways that will sometimes defy logic and somewhat rebel against the laws of everything that is natural. The prophet is called to communicate heavy messages. Hence, a Prophet will often have a platform to preach and prophesy to many, whether through tv, radio, internet, books, conferences, or the such. Often times, prophets are also creatives, linked to music, writing, illustration or story-telling. Prophets are usually passionate for revival and holy fire. True prophets father younger prophets. Prophets regularly experience dreams, visions, encounters with the spirit realm and supernatural happenings. Prophets prophesy, confront, bless, pray, travel on assignment, war and love the Body.

The beauty and benefit of the Teacher’s office includes education and growth in the Body. Hence, teachers will yearn to get their discovered truths out to hungry hearts.

Teachers will sometimes correct errors. Teachers will encourage by bringing reinforcement from God’s Word.

Teachers teach.

Teachers love to see learning and progress and they are anointed to bring that to those who are humble, open, and stretchable. Teachers are hard workers and intelligent. Teachers are specialists in the Body and their ministry is quite necessary and palatable. Therefore, the teacher will sometimes reach a large audience or following.

The beauty and benefit of the Evangelist’s office is soul-winning. Thus, Evangelists are those who: A. Go to the world, and those who B. Call out to the Lost. Evangelist preach repentance and tell the truth. Evangelist are anointed for deliverance. Evangelist don’t fear devils or obstacles. Their mission is always clear and important. They are the active hands, feet, heart and voice of the Body of Christ extending the savior’s merciful kindness to lost souls. Evangelists are lovers of Christ and strive to bring Him His reward. Sometimes Evangelists are carriers of a strong gift and anointing of healing, or other spiritual gift, for the ultimate purpose of winning more souls.

The beauty and benefit of the Pastor’s office is shepherding and Discipleship. Thus, believers can grow and be cared for under the honored umbrella of Pastoral Leadership.

Pastors preach a lot of sermons on a regular basis. This requires a lot of prayer, reading, and studying.

Usually, it is a Pastor that marries or buries a believer. If someone wants to be married in a church, they will often reach out to their own Pastor. If the couple doesn’t attend church, they will probably reach out to a Pastor with some connection to their family. The process is usually similar when searching for someone to conduct a funeral.

Pastors also perform other important functions such as communion, water baptism and baby dedications.

Furthermore, Pastors are also known to visit folks in hospitals, or at their home. Pastors give their lives to humbly, yet gladly, serve a local congregation of believers.

Pastors do their best to care for, pray for, and serve their community.

And, unfortunately, Pastors are under-appreciated today. Nevertheless, when they are functioning well… they keep on nurturing and developing believers. And, they keep on encouraging others pieces of the body. They appoint, equip, and utilize teachers. They employ and value Evangelists. They cheer for and learn from Prophets. They submit to and assist Apostles. The benefit of Pastors is: among everything else that they contribute… they can be incredible team players.

Sometimes we need doom and gloom prophets because the tv preachers can seem plastic, lopsided, and backslidden. Sometimes we need to be called to weep and wail, because things are not as good as what the pied piper tells us it is. An excessive diet of candy, sugar, and honeycomb will make a person sick. A white paintbrush can make things pretty… unless everything is whitewashed and we lose color; we lose our sense of reality.

Sometimes we need Jesus to tell us to pray as He Himself feels agony impending. Sometimes we need Him to wake us up. Sometimes we need Him to warn us, as He already knows what trouble lurks.

Sometimes we don’t see through Heaven’s lens. Sometimes we don’t know there’s an urgency in the air. Sometimes we don’t need to be coddled, patted on the back, or lied to. What we really need sometimes is to be shaken, alarmed and alerted.

Sometimes we need a voice to pierce through time and space to reach us. Sometimes we need a raised voice, an unafraid voice, a truthful voice that can’t be swayed. Sometimes we’ve forgotten that the real prophets don’t give a gas about whether or not they’re popular.

We need doom and gloom prophets when preachers are busier building their image and brand than they are His kingdom. We need the voices of lightning and thunder when our preachers are spending too much time and worry over their nearly useless fundraisers. I’m getting worked up, but I’m not feeling like I’m supposed to tone this down.

Sure, I’m still dealing with issues from my brain injuries and thus, I often have to let my helpmate proofread my stuff. I ask and allow her to reel me in. But lately I’ve dealt with a different kind of devil. A devil that has made me feel pitiful. And right now, in this exact moment, a holy oil is on me. Revelation is coming to me. And an attack of yuck is flittering off of me.

For so many years, a fiery anointing would come on me when I was preaching, prophesying, or praying. But now—thank God— that anointing also comes on me when I’m writing.

Anyway, we are at a moment in time like the aforementioned “sometimes.” Instead of resisting the rebuke with arguments and excuses, there are many Christian leaders who need to own the shame.

There’s misplaced rejoicing going on that we have mis-labeled the wedding song and wedding dance.

So many pulpits are currently being occupied with fellers who are stricken with a sick need to look cool. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Jesus movement going on, but I know where the modern day hippies are.

Today’s hippy sermons could’ve been written at Woodstock. Too many of today’s Preachers and well-known Christian singers are alcoholics. But, good news, our theology has advanced so far that now sin is ok, and Hell probably isn’t real.

Marijuana use amongst ministers will be the next sad news story. The debate on whether it’s ok for believers to smoke doobies is already marching our way.

But, I’m not worried because I’ve already heard the Lord say He is restoring the prophetic lament. This deep level of burden and spiritual ache will lead us to a new sound coming out of Zion. The outpouring will follow our almost overwhelming season of weeping intercession.

For now, don’t be too quick to dismiss or resist the gloom, or the angry sounding preacher. I believe this is one of those “sometimes” that we need to hear this strange, wild voice.