Bear Creek BLOG
Tip #326: “How About Them Yankees?”
I wonder if you’ve observed the same thing as I: Christians – as a species – are really thin-skinned. Perhaps it’s because we were so victimized by darkness in our previous incarnation and the wounds have never healed; or maybe it’s just because we’re trained to be reactionaries, always obliged to “defend the faith.”
Spiritual Welfare State
It often surprises me how needy we church people are. So, here is a rant for you to critique. Why is it the norm in the church structure that everyone must always be a subservient student sitting at the feet of the pastor-daddy or the teacher-mommy? When are we allowed to grow up and not have to sit through sermon after sermon, the substance of which we have heard a million times already?
The Secrets Behind Dysfunctional Families
God’s original plan for families is that parents would have a close relationship with Him so that they would naturally reflect God’s nature to their children. As children would see the nature of God in their parents, this would create a healthy, nurturing environment for all family members.
Paradigm Vertigo
In the pursuit of upside-down thinking – standing on my head trying to focus my spiritual sight enough to actually grasp Kingdom principles – I’m experiencing a sense of vertigo. Everything I know, based upon the fifty-some-odd years of right-side up thinking, is now suspect; it’s all so temporal and worldly that the effort to seize the real deal of Kingdom thinking becomes both terribly alien and disconcerting.
Life Outside The Institution
After my deliverance I could see all the spiritual abuse in the shaming, rather than teaching on the good news of the Kingdom and how we could walk in Kingdom power. If you find people whose “minds aren’t warped,” let me know because that is a rarity.
It is good to find a community of people with which to have relationship and encouragement, but that is a difficult order to fill.
Deliverance Is Messy
Deliverance creates chaos in the church. Why? In our 30 plus years of deliverance ministry we have seen pastors fear and avoid deliverance. Pastors spend much of their ministry focus and time on trying to keep the ship/church from rocking and keeping its course.
To Do or To Be
Each year at this time, many folks consider making New Year's resolutions, making a decision to change something in their lives. Usually we pick something to do or not to do to make our lives better. It may be deciding to lose weight or to eat healthier or be about work or play. But usually it is about doing or not doing something.
Old Horse - New Tricks
You’ve probably seen it in a wild west movie: the cowboy rides into the frame, dismounts with a flourish dropping the horse’s reins to the ground, and he goes about his business – but the horse (let’s call him Ed [not his real name]) just stands there. Is he tied up? Nope (that’s “No” in cowboyeeze). Is he restrained in any way? Nope. Is he free? Yep (that’s… well you can guess what it means).
So here’s the question: Why does Ed just stand there as if he is bound to something?
Kindergarten King Things
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. Revelation 17:14.
It begs the question, “Lord of what lords, King of which kings?” Is He only the King of royalty? Is He just the Lord over the ruling class?
Superman Is Real
I am always intrigued by the imagination of man. For example, where did we get the idea of Superman? Stronger, faster, leaps tall buildings, sees through walls, among other things. Who is this guy and how was the concept conceived?
Hitching Post Saints
I recently received another communiqué – among many over the years–that somebody else is setting about starting house churches. Of course there is some anger in their stuff; it’s sort of a prerequisite for Escapees, at least in the early days. The anger is directed at the institution for the disappointment, disillusionment, or downright spiritual abuse. Hopefully they will recover.
The Key to Kingdom Relationships
When asked to define Christianity, we get a myriad of answers from just a religion, to Jesus followers, to wasting an hour every week in utter boredom. But I think Jesus gave us the answer as he was being pestered by the Pharisees…
The Mirror That Changed the Ugly Duckling
Remember the Hans Christian Anderson story of the Ugly Duckling? This poor little fellow was so downhearted as others teased him for being different. He felt unwanted, rejected, not loved, not accepted and not enough because he was not like the other ducklings. Then one day, he looked into the pond and saw his reflection. He had a revelation that he was not a duck at all but a beautiful swan.