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THEOLOGY BECOMING BIOGRAPHY In speaking with Flip this morning, I was refreshed as he rejoiced over the work of God in our lives and the works that He has pre-ordained that we should walk in. "The joy of the Lord is our strength" and Flip was certainly filled with joy and strength as he spoke of how our Lord is manifesting Himself to and through this ministry and the faithful group walking across America. Flip wants to encourage God’s people with God’s truth that has been revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures. How marvelous are Jehovah’s deeds in all the earth! He is the King of kings and Lord of lords and there is none like Him! If I want to grow in faith I have to allow my theology to become biography so that God can show Himself strong. The Church has tried far too long to find God’s power through theological study and pompous tradition and we have made the Word of God simply words again. We have substituted knowledge in the place of obedience and passivity for power. Flip states: "We have men with large heads and no chest. We preach the Word, pray the Word, sing and talk about the Word. We do everything but unsheathe the Word. The Church has been emasculated and has become powerless. After Christ Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" Acts 1:4-5,8. There is one baptism with the Spirit, but many fillings with the Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, all of them were filled with the Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them. If we keep the Scripture in context, we will immediately read that, as the followers of Christ were filled with the Spirit, they were enabled to fulfill the Great Commission of going to all the nations. Our waiting is over. We have received the gift of God. We have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. The command in Scripture is to be filled with the Spirit. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Where is "Yahweh" "I AM" the God of Moses? He is found on the other side of obedience as we step out in faith and not before. Christ's proclamation was that we would be witnesses throughout the earth, not within the walls of a building where we meet. Sometimes we want every jot and tittle in place before we are willing to step out and go. God says, not before you go, but as you go. The great commission is "All authority is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Therefore go and make disciples of the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt. 28:18-20 The command is to go. God is with us in all His authority and power to bind, to loose and to deliver from bondage through our Lord Jesus Christ. The gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ. The Church is to go to these gates of hell and not wait for the gates of hell to infiltrate the Assembly of God’s people. As the team set out to walk across America, they started out in faith not knowing how God would make every provision, yet sure that He would make every provision as they obeyed His commands. Flip spoke of the recent experience that occurred on Sunday, June 14, 2004. Judgement the horse went lame. He had walked over 1500 miles and the veterinarian said he couldn’t go any farther. "There we were, Flip said, knowing we had no horse and no way of knowing how to complete this task the Lord had set before us." They went to the local church and fellowship of the Peoples Chapel and asked what do we do? God’s people joined together to seek His face acknowledging they had no means or way within themselves to bring about His purposes. On Monday morning they went to the ranches in the area looking for a horse. We need a horse and we want your horse. They went to three places without any response to the need. They called a friend Carolyn Palmer, in Athens, TX , who found Last Chance Farms in Nortonville, MO. Flip called Last Chance Farms and spoke to the owner, Ms. Elsie Darrah. "Mam, God has need of a horse." Miss Elsie answered, "I have one." Flip again said, "Mam, God needs a horse nursed back to health." Ms. Elsie replied, "Come on." The group turned and headed west to Nortonville, MO. The direction God has called our group to travel is east. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are past finding out; yet His provision is sure. The woman had asked for our website because she wanted to know about this ministry. As the team arrived at Last Chance Farms, they saw a white framed house, mares and stables where they raised Tennessee Walking Horses. When they met the owner they learned that her husband had died in 1992 and sometime following she had been thrown from a horse and had been paralyzed; to what extent I’m not sure. Ms. Elsie told Flip that she had a horse she had taken in when it was two months old. The horse was a chestnut color Tennessee Walker that stood 17 hands in height. For those of you who don’t know, that is a good sized horse. She had owned this horse for 21 years. "You can have this horse I love if you will take good care of him and be sure that he will be around children." Flip began to see immediately God’s Providential hand in all that was taking place. Flip’s grandson, Ty, has cerebral palsy and participates in therapeutic horseback riding called hippo therapy. This therapy helps with his motor skills. Ms. Elsie’s friend Carolyn and the veterinarian, Dr. Joe, had been taking care of this horse for 2 years. Dr. Joe provided all of the vaccinations for the horse and gave them a 50-pound bag of grain. The farrier from Nortonville came out and shod the horse without charge. Ms. Elsie is going to nurse Judgement back to health and then return him to the team as soon as he is well. It is steadfastly true that "God will supply all of our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19 "The Lord appointed seventy-two others, and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where He was about to go. He told themm, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field." He sent them out like lambs among wolves, without purse or bag or sandals. They were not to take excess baggage or to remain for the customary lengthy visit or greeting. Their mission was urgent. They were not to wander from place to place looking for their needs to be met. The men and women of God’s peace would provide for them. Their message - "The kingdom of God is near." The command was to let your peace rest on those who receive this message and do not linger with those who reject this message. Jesus told them, "He who listens to you listens to Me; he who rejects you rejects Me; but he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Lk. 10: 16, 18-19 The Lord’s authority, power, and provision are on our lives as we go in obedience to His commands. This theology must become biography in the streets. We don’t need another purpose driven book. We need to get out of the salt shaker and become salt. We will find great joy as we trust in the Lord with all our heart. The new horse has been named Justice. God’s perfect justice must be applied to bring about repentance that we may receive His great mercy. Jesus said, "I desire mercy not sacrifice." Matt 12:7 There is no sacrifice sufficient apart from Christ Jesus our Lord. "What does the Lord require of you, O man, but to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 How does this living parable of God’s judgement and mercy round itself out? The message is first to the Church. We have broken God’s law. We are the conscience of the nation. We are our brothers’ keeper. The blood of our children cries out to us from the ground. A broken baby speaks to this Nation as we have lost one-third of a generation since 1973. Our Godly heritage has been cast by the wayside. As our team walks the broken Ten Commandments will lead the way followed by the broken baby killed through abortion. Justice, the horse, will precede Mercy, the donkey, followed by Judgement, the white horse, when he returns. This is the Day of Grace! Our Lord stays His hand of judgement that we might act justly repenting of our great sin that has separated us from the Holy One. His mercy is contingent upon repentance and He waits with an earnest desire that we would enter in to His rest. If we do not meet King Jesus as He enters the city in peace riding on a donkey then we will meet Him when He returns on the white horse of judgement ground under the winepress of His fierce anger. The message we have been given remains the same "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near." We have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ Jesus unto obedience. May we be found faithful and vigilant completing the work we have been given to do, watching daily for His return.
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