Monday, September 29, 2008

The Spirit and Truth Study Blog

I want to introduce those read this blog to another New Revolutionary.

"These New Revolutionaries are the ones who reject the spirit of religion and passionately embrace the truth and power of God's Word to change what is by into what God desires."

Jessica TenBrink is a worship leader with a heart after God who has the gifting and skill to lead a group of believers deep into the father’s presence and on into His heart!
Jessica has recently started ‘The Spirit and Truth Study Blog’, which is designed to take you through the entire Bible and study Biblical Worship. Jessica's introduction to her new blog is below along with a bio and photo.

‘The Spirit and Truth Study Blog’, by Jessica TenBrink
This blog chronicles my study of the Word to learn what it really means to worship in Spirit & Truth. John 4:23 says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." My desire for The Spirit and Truth Study is to become one whom God can find faithfully worshiping Him. Join me in the study. Comment, and offer your insight so we can grow together.
http://spiritandtruthstudy.blogspot.com/

Invitation
“I want to invite you all to visit me on my new blog and join me as I start an intense study in the Bible on worship. M
y new blog is focused solely on a brand new study that I am embarking on. I thought I would chronicle it in blog form for anyone who would like to pitch in with their insight or comments, or even questions. What fun! I have posted the backdrop to the study so far (what has led to the start of the study) and I hope to begin posting actual study material within the week. If you know anyone else who might be interested in reading as I study the Bible in the context of what kind of worship God requires, please let them know as well! You can subscribe to my blog on the left hand side of the homepage where it says "subscribe". Then you will get automatic updates after each post.”

Bio:

Jessica TenBrink is a graduate of Oral Roberts University, a wife to Karl, and a stay-at-home mother to Annalee (7) and Mattea (2). A pastor’s daughter two times over (both her mother and father pastor Crossfire, a Church Without Walls in Centennial, CO), she has a calling to minister to the local Body of Christ as worship leader. She served Crossfire as its first worship leader for two years beginning in 2005. She has a heart to see the Lord exalted within the corporate worship setting with passion, might, and abandon. Her desire is to counter the cultural norm in America that says, “I can worship God just fine with my hands in my pockets.” Her desire is to raise up Davids—people after God’s own heart, whom God seeks out as worshippers while they worship in Spirit and truth.” David was not only a worshiper; he was a warrior. Jessica’s vision is to raise up warriors for the Kingdom of God who accomplish extraordinary things in the very potent humility that true worship requires. Because the Lord dwells in the praises of His people, her vision is to encourage, mentor, and teach believers that God moves when we praise and worship His name! Jessica and Karl are raising their children and serving the Lord in Colorado Springs, Colorado. http://spiritandtruthstudy.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Are You Naked?

Are you naked? was written by Tom Crandall. Tom is one the New Revolutionaries I have recently written about. I believe you will find this article to have the authenticity of the Holy Spirit.

In a day when so many leaders are chasing popularity and seeking to build a crowd with worldly methods it is refreshing to find those, like Tom, who have the heart of the Father, the mind of Christ and the Power of the Spirit. The proclamation of the Gospel and the Lord Jesus who is the King of the universe are without compromise in Tom's ministry.

May God reveal his message to this generation through these New Revolutionaries with His authority and power to a generation caught in the whirlwind of spiritual darkness, confusion, false god's, phony promises and false hope!
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Are you naked?
“I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” -Adam. Have you ever felt vulnerable and exposed to the point that all you wanted to do is run and hid? I have, more times than I am willing to admit. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world!! You feel like everybody is looking at you and at that moment all the things you wish you could change scream at you; insecurities, secret sins, failures. The masks come off. I’m sure what Adam and Eve experienced that day in the Garden of Eden was very similar. “Oh no its God, hurry quickly under the bush, he won’t find us there! We’ll be covered.” Truth be known, that feeling that feels like a lightning bolt going through your subconscious telling you your missing something can be one of your best friends. After all, who wants to be naked and exposed before other people? Can you imagine (please don’t) if your neighbor walked out of their comfortable abode to get the news paper one morning with nothing but starbucks in hand! AAAHHH! Though most of us would make a mad dash for our front door, a good neighbor would scream on their way in, “you’re missing something!!” As funny as this sounds our walk with God can be very similar. This is why I am so thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

He is my most faithful partner in life. He let’s me know when I leave the house having forgot to put my pants on. I can honestly say that my greatest fear in life is no longer being rejected by people, preaching a bad message or looking bad because of a decision I made; it’s being naked, and I’m not talking about leaving the house having forgot my shirt, but leaving the house or doing anything for that matter not clothed in the manifest presence of God! Spiritual nakedness can come from eating the fruit of bitterness and unforgiveness, a critical spirit and judgmental attitude, or just being to busy for God. Remember the seven sons’ of Sceva from Acts 19? They approached demon possessed people and tried to do spiritual things with out having their own spiritual power but rather attempting to operate in someone else’s, can I say again they were naked; with out the presence of God they got beat up so bad that they left physically naked and bleeding from such a bad beating.

For me, the simplest thing such as loving a little child to mowing the lawn I need to make sure that I am clothed in the presence of God, and not showing the world that it’s ok to go shirtless. Adam and Eve were so use to being clothed in the presence of God that when it was gone, they freaked out. It wasn’t until God came and made the first animal sacrifice to cover their nakedness with the skins of an animal that they felt comfortable again. Jesus Christ has paid our price to be clothed or wrapped in his presence. His blood has provided us with the opportunity to put our clothes back on. Do you freak out and get as scared as I do when you’re to busy to get fully dressed in the morning, or are you in the habit of walking in spiritual nakedness.

The army of Israel was petrified of one man named Goliath because they were naked, but little scrawny David hit this giant trained warrior with a rock and cut his head off because he was wearing the right clothes! So the next time you get intimidated, or a friend tells you “you’re missing something,” get clothed in the power of God and you will stand with a confidence that is not in your own flesh but is in the presence of the one who spoke the world into existence with a simple word. Are you naked?

Tom Crandall
http://www.collidemovement.com/
BIO:


Pastor Tom Crandall serves as the Youth & Young Adult Pastor of Mountain View Christian Assembly, Sandy. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, he has a background in Evangelism & Outreach, Youth, and Young Adults. After having a radical encounter with God in the fall of '95, his pursuit has been to know Jesus Christ and to see others have a divine encounter with the Lord. Soon after his salvation experience, he felt the call of God on his life and attended the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in Pensacola, Florida, from '97 to '99, where he received his Associates Degree in Practical Ministry. There he met his wife, Leslie, and they were soon married September 11, 1999. Since then, they have been on staff at churches in Texas and Ohio where they served with passion and love. Their heartbeat is to see the lost transformed by the love of Christ and the Church revived and walking in the character and power God has called her to. They reside in Salt Lake City, Utah, and have two incredible kids name Joel and Adelyn