Tag Archives: Deny

Authenticity!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Teamwork, Training, Transformation

This Blog is the first of three in the series I am calling authenticity, authority and anointing.

These three attributes, or characteristics, are core values that I look for when looking for relationships generally in my life, specifically in the kingdom of God, and especially in those to whom I choose to submit my spiritual well-being.

A lot is being said and written again about women in ministry. I wrote a Blog called Women Ministers on October 26 of this year where I did not delve deeply into the contrived controversy. Instead, I asked a series of logical [to me] questions that I hope will create a hunger to know the truth about this issue.

While this series is not specifically about women, or women ministers, it does involve that vital subject. I would rather sit under the ministry of a woman who is authentic, under God’s authority, and anointed by the Holy Spirit than any man who is not authentic, under God’s authority, and or not anointed by the Holy Spirit.

In fact, a man could be under authority and anointed but if he was not authentic I would never submit my life to him!

Authenticity is such an important virtue! Unfortunately it is becoming more rare, even in the body of Christ. When ministers refuse to preach and teach what they say they believe because of how the people they lead or the people they lead with would respond, they are not being authentic.

According to the Dictionary app on my MacBook Pro, the first definition of authentic is “of undisputed origin.” I love that that is the initial view into the meaning of the word.

Dictionary.com defines authentic thus:

  • Not false or copied; genuine; real
  • Having an origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified
  • Representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself or to the person identified
  • Entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy

Confusion is not from the Father so if a person is unwilling to authentically represent Him in their life and or ministry then they are causing the origin [Author] of their life, and or ministry to be disputed. Additionally, it is absolutely acceptable to call into question that person and their stated beliefs.

God does not call people to represent Him and then to deny the very things He has revealed to them, in them and through them. PERIOD!

Galatians 3 – “1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

Apparently the Galatians had fallen prey to preachers who brought another gospel, one that according to Paul was not the authentic gospel. In part, part of the deception was the denial of the supernatural ministry of the Spirit of God.

“2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” Working miracles is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Do you realize you can admit [not deny] the existence of God and daily deny Him in your life? Jesus said, “Deny me before men, and I will deny you before My Father.”

Are you denying God in your life and or ministry?

How are you denying God in your life?

What has God revealed to you that you have accepted as His truth?

Are you wholeheartedly revealing those things to the people God has called you to lead, or to lead with? This begins in the home by the way!

What is going on in your heart if you are fearful of being authentic with the people you are in community with?

I am not talking about the typical recognized sinful behavior [denying Christ is a sin]. I am talking about authentic encounters with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, whether directly or in His Word.

Where are you going? Who are you leading? Where are you leading them?

Are you going into Authenti-City [authentic community]?

Or, are you leading people into confusion, compromise, chaos, and dispute – because that is where you currently reside in your compromise?

Donna and I founded and led a vibrant church for 16 years. We lost count of the times members of other churches would seek our counsel [ministry] because they could not trust the leaders they were in community with. We would ask, “Why are you submitting your soul to someone you do not trust?” Their answer, almost to a person, had to do with non Kingdom matters. We knew that what they received would not be received where they attended church – and that they would remain in the community where compromise was a core-value. Sad!

Authenti City – a rare commodity and community – for sure!

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A radical spiritual revolutionary
Revolution Movement Co-Founder
http://www.revolutionmovement.org
kdrury@revolutionmovement.org

Overcomer!?

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Christianity, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training, Transformation

Overcomer!?

“31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” [Luke 22:31,32]

I have always found these two verses interesting, challenging, and encouraging.

Interesting because it is counter-intuitive to most teaching on God’s love and concern for His people.

Challenging because Jesus does not deny Satan’s demand to attack Peter.

Encouraging because Jesus obviously had faith in His prayer life, and in Peter to respond to his failure with faithfulness to God, which means He has faith in me to respond correctly and quickly when I fail to live up to His standard.

So many believe that God will “protect” them from Satan. These verses reveal a protection that is based in a prayer for a quick recovery, not a rescue from temptation and the tests in each temptation.

Do you see how Jesus prays and what He does not do?

Think about this –

  • God did not deny Satan access to Jesus
  • Jesus said He would send us out in the same way His Father sent Him [that is a deep subject]
  • Jesus did not deny Satan access to Peter
  • God will not deny Satan access to you, that is if you are or will be a threat to Satan [if you are not presently or will be eventually a threat then why bother with allowing him to bother [sift] you]

In His intercessory prayer life at the right hand of the Father Jesus prays for our faith, and for us to be strong. In the model prayer, which most have been taught is the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught novice disciples to pray for God to keep the devil away from them.

Matthew 6:13

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [the] evil [one].”

Yet John, who was present when Jesus taught the twelve that prayer, wrote this in 1 John 2:

“1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

  • We see little children are to learn sin is not acceptible

13 I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

  • Overcoming the evil one begins with saying yes to God, His word, will and ways

14 I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

  • God’s word does more than instruct us, it empowers us

Jesus fully expected Peter, and all of His disciples throughout every generation, to grow up quickly so that being an overcomer would be normal, not rare!

Jesus’ statement to Peter was approximately 3.5 years into Peter’s discipleship training process. Peter, having access to Jesus for 360 days a year for 3 to 3.5 years seems to give him an advantage in the maturation process. But Jesus said this, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” [John 16:7]

Discipleship comes with, and every true disciple of Jesus post resurrection, ascension and Pentecost outpouring, have an advantage over those who walked with Jesus in the flesh 2000 years ago.

With that being true then why do so many disciples of Jesus fail Him and fail to rebound quickly, if ever at all?

There are too many reasons to write about here but a main issue is the lack of reading, study and understanding Scripture and our identity in Christ.

Are you like the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?”

John gives great insight to his readers:

1. He writes to ‘little children’ in verse 1. Those children have matured to the level of living solely to honor God and to defend His honor at all costs.

2. He writes to young men in verses 13 and 14 and describes how these young men matured to become overcomers.

a. They are strong

b. The Word of God abides in them

c. They attack the devil [they overcome him] – they are not praying for protection from him

d. Their identity in Christ is revealed, and unleashes the Christ that is in them

Listen [well read and understand] friends, do you scare the devil enough that he demands permission from God to attack you?

Are you still a pebble in your own eyes or the pillar that God sees when He looks at you?

Is God looking at you, or for you?

Where are you?

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A spiritual revolutionary