Looking Back

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

In the fall of 2010, while in my late 40s, I went back to college. It was a brand new world to say the least. Everything had changed. I remember my first day back, having to ask a much younger student how to even turn on my PC. (A friend had given me one of his.) Anyhow, after three years, I completed my studies, and received my BA in biblical studies/theology. But what I value more than the degree are the people I met. There are too many to mention (Dr. G, Vlatko, Dr. A), but one stands out in particular- Michael Andrus.

I first met Mike in Apologetics, a class which was taught by Professor Ted “Hollywood” Wright. Mike was friends with a friend of mine. Well, you know how it is with close friends, sometimes you can’t even remember how you got so close. Such is the case with Mike and me. But needless to say, we became (and are to this day) the closest of friends-brothers. Mike ( a young man from Michigan) and me (an older guy from South Carolina) have been through a lot together. And it was Mike who actually built the first NLI website. He told me one day, “Brother, I want to create a platform for you to share what’s on your heart.” I didn’t even know there was such a thing as blogs, and websites, and so on. He put the wheels in motion, and in July2011, NLI Ministries was launched.

As I look back over the past three years, I am both humbled and grateful. NLI has reached into 70 countries, all around the world, places I know I’ll never be able to go. It has been a trip to see people from Indonesia, Japan, Israel, Portugal, etc… visit the site. Thank you Lord! Looking back, I do have to laugh. Early on, my grammar was even worse than it is now. In my pride, I’ve thought about editing those posts, but decided, “Nah, let ’em see growth.” Probably though, I’m just too lazy to to do it. But I’ll stick with my, “Let ’em see growth.” story.

Another thing I see, looking back, is how much my theology has changed. Regarding some of my early blogs, I recently told someone, “I don’t even believe a lot of that anymore.” But I think our theology should be “organic.” Our understanding of God should be growing, changing and developing as we ourselves grow in Jesus. Great day, how can our theology not evolve? Unless, of course, you think you know everything. And much to my surprise, I have learned that I indeed do not. So, again, instead of editing or deleting a bunch of stuff, I’ll just stick with my, “Let ’em see growth.” story.

I have left the “institutional church” in which I once served as pastor and worship leader. I’m not really sure what Jesus is doing with me or where I’m going. The one thing that remains unchanged is my belief that Jesus is God, the way, the truth and the life. I do still have within me a burning desire to share Jesus with the world, build up the Church and make cultural commentary, and for now, NLI is my only “platform.” So, I invite you to come grow with me in Christ. Looking back, I look forward to what God will do in the future.

Control

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

(WARNING: The following contains a graphic account of  the Holy Spirit speaking to one of his people. If you do not believe that Jesus communicates directly to his disciples today, you may find the following post offensive, and form the opinion that I am completely off my rocker!)

Living in America, we all know that you’re supposed to go to college, get a lucrative career and then provide stability and security for yourself and your family. We are to control our own destiny. Right? Well, I truly believe that we are entering a time when we American Christians will have to learn a new way to live. It should have always been this way for us, it’s nothing new, but it will be new for us in that we have been so fortunate, so used to being in control. I’m talking about truly living by faith, trusting God for the essentials of life, the things we all take for granted, the things we control. Perhaps an example from my own experience will best serve to illustrate what I mean.

Several years ago I moved into a house out in the country, in Mooresville, NC. Ministry was kickin’, work was going great, and I foresaw no problems with my move. But I hadn’t even moved in good before the storm hit. Work just dried up for me. Colleagues of mine were doing just fine, but what I had done for the past 25 years to get jobs for myself was producing no results whatsoever. I tried to be strong, say and pray all the right things and put on a confident air in front of folks. But I eventually found myself sitting at the kitchen table, deeply troubled, and on the verge of tears.

Me: “God, you know I have bills. How am I going to survive?”

Spirit (very tender and loving): “Tell me, what do you need that you don’t have?”

I seriously thought about that for a minute, and then responded.

Me: “Well, honestly, I have a lot of  things I don’t really need. I mean, I don’t need cable TV. I don’t need WI-Fi, etc… I’d have to say I have everything I need and then some.”

Spirit: (still very tender and loving) “Well then, what has you so upset?”

Honestly I didn’t know what to say. I just sat there in silence.

Spirit (so gentle, encouraging): ” I’ll tell you what’s bothering you. I have taken away your control. It’s easy to say you trust me when you know money is coming in at the end of every week, when the fridge is full, when you can see how your needs are going to be met. I’m teaching you how to truly trust me, to let me be in control.”

These lessons have continued to this day, and he has ALWAYS been faithful-even when I wasn’t.

We know so many things in our heads: “Consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, the Father provides for all their needs, and you’re so much more valuable than they are.” But frankly, most of us have never been forced to actually live it out. I think the time is coming, when we will have to trust God for real. God’s means of provision often look very different from what we are used to, how we’ve been told it’s supposed to be. And we need to begin to allow God to teach us his ways, to find our security and stability in him, apart from the American Dream and the world’s system. The problem is, and it’s hard for us to admit, we American Christians are so bound to the American way of living that we resist the Spirit’s efforts to set us free. We love our “stuff,” and our fear of suffering outweighs the faith we say we have in God.

If you find yourself in “uncharted waters,” where you don’t know how things are going to work out, or even if they will- REJOICE! The Lord trains those he loves, and desires to deliver you from a false sense of freedom and show you the true liberty of life in and by his Spirit.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

 

 

Let It Flow

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

“Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out. At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out; they kept the LORD’S charge, according to the command of the LORD through Moses.”

Reading the above scripture you can’t help but be awestruck by the way Israel was led in their journey e.g., a physical manifestation of God’s presence. We think how easy it would be to know where to go, what to do and when to do it if we experienced something like that. Actually, we’re in a much better position than they were. We are in Jesus and God lives in us. We are actually in the “flow” of the Trinity.

I used to think that real, spiritual Christians probably got up in the morning, and found an index card on their kitchen table mysteriously written by the Holy Spirit, providing instructions for their lives. Maybe the Über-Christians discerned the will of God through signs, specific prophetic utterances, or some other super spiritual means. Well, God can indeed lead in all of those ways (even the index card), but I’ve come to understand that more often than not, living in the will of God is simply a direct result of abiding in Jesus.

Remember the call to Abraham? The Lord said, “Get up and go to the land that I will show you.” Abraham didn’t receive a lot of information, only the command to leave and the promise of guidance. Over and over in the Old Testament we read of God’s promises to lead His people. We read stories about the ways God led certain individuals, and think, “Oh, if God would would only speak to me like that…” But we’ve got it even better! In the New Testament, we find Jesus assuring us that the Holy Spirit would actually indwell us, reveal Jesus to us, give us the “mind of Christ,” and guide us into all truth. Jesus spoke of us actually being in him, abiding in him like branches in a vine. ThLiving Water by Cassie Searse thing about branches is they don’t spend a whole lot of time trying to figure out what their supposed to be doing. It flows naturally as they are connected to the vine.

Following the will of God is not so much a matter of knowing stuff as it is being in Someone. As we remain in Jesus, drawing our life from him, being continuously filled with his Spirit (like the “sap” flowing through the vine), the will of God will be a natural process. Branches that abide in the vine simply bear fruit for that is the will of the “Husbandman.”

Someone told me something once, and I didn’t understand it at the time. But I get it now. It went something like this: “Come to Jesus, abide in him, and then do what you want.” You want to stay in the will of God? Abide in Jesus, and let it flow.

What’s In A Name?

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

What’s in a name? “That which we call a rose would by any other name smell as sweet.” Really? What we call something, its name, reveals to us something of its “essence.” Therefore, if I am talking to someone about a rose, I would not call it a daisy. The name rose contains within itself the “essence” of the flower of which I am speaking. When people speak of you, when they mention your name to those who know you, the word “Bob” does not stand alone. It carries with it your character, things you’ve done and said, your values, your personality- the “essence” of who “Bob” is. What’s in a name? Everything.

I think a lot of Christians fail to realize what “in the name of Jesus” means. For many, it’s really nothing more than a moniker attached to prayers and endeavors in order to assure success. The louder we say it, the frequency with which we use it, somehow, magically, validates our words or course of action. Sadly, in many cases, “in Jesus’ name” is merely the Christian version of “abracadabra.” And perhaps the reason so many of us experience unanswered prayers, and fruitless “ministry” is because we have attached the “Jesus Moniker” to things in which his name, quite frankly, has no part.

If you read the book of John, especially chapter 17, you find Jesus speaking a lot about the name. And reading these passages, you understand that his name is more than just a formula for successful prayer and ministry. It is in this name that we are kept. The revelation of the name continues among his followers “that the love with which you have loved me [Jesus] may be in them, and I in them.” The very heart of God, his “essence,” is contained within the name. All that God is, all that he is doing, his character, his values, his personality, his intentions and desires are contained within the name. So when we pray in his name, when we minister in his name, as we simply live in his name, it is to bring a revelation of who he is and what he desires.

So, what does this look like? How does this all play out in us? Well, the first thing we need to understand is that there is no “in the name of Jesus” without relationship. And the cool thing is that as lovers of Jesus we are right smack-dab in the middle of the relationship God has enjoyed within himself for all eternity. We are “in the name.” In Jesus, we have been made partakers of the life, love and fellowship that the Father and Son have always known. We have been made partakers of the divine nature, and as we abide in him, we come to know who he is and what he desires. And as a result, we live and pray and minister.

What’s in a name? If you are in Jesus, you are!

(Please understand that in this post I am not using the term essence in a strict theological fashion.)

GMOs & The Genetically Modified Church of America

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

“I am the true Vine…”

I got into a conversation with a friend the other day about GMOs. That conversation prompted me to do a little research on the topic, and I came away with what I guess is a rudimentary understanding of the issue:

1) “Genetic modification is the process of forcing genes from one species into another entirely unrelated species.”

2) The process is producing “food” that’s  not even really  “food” anymore.

3) While the manufacturers claim that they produce GMOs to help feed an ever growing population, closer scrutiny suggests that the true motivation may be “profit.”

As I pondered these things I came to a very disturbing realization that much of what passes for church in America, what is called the “body of Christ,” is actually a “genetically modified organism”- The Genetically Modified Church of America (GMCOA).

The true Church is made up of individuals who, through their abiding union with Christ, have become one body. It is through this abiding union that they are nurtured, strengthened and maintained. Each part “does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Its “DNA” is holy and pure in that it is derived from Jesus. This Church, this Organism is strong, vibrant and able to prevail against “herbicides, pesticides, insects and draught.” Its Life flows from the true Vine, and needs no “enhancement” of any kind. But as the American “church” has perceived itself as being increasingly threatened in today’s world, to defend itself, it has begun to “force genes” from an entirely “unrelated species” (i.e. the world) into the Body. This “fusion” has resulted in the production of the GMCOA which may look like the Church in some respects, but lacks the reality that only comes from Jesus. Unfortunately, because many “corporate manufacturers” (pastors of the GMCOA) fear that the “church” is losing its’ place in society, much of what passes for worship in today’s churches is merely an emotional, surface level experience. The Spirit of God is stifled or  quenched altogether as the GMCOA endeavors to resist the “pesticides of culture,” and attempts to make the “church” more appealing to the world. (A more blatant manifestation of the GMCOA can be seen in the recent actions taken by  Presbyterian USA and the United Church of  “Christ.”)

Just as GMO manufacturing results in the production of food which is not even really food, the infusion of “foreign genes” into the body of Christ is manufacturing Christians who aren’t really Christians. American church goers are habitually being fed an adulterated, modified gospel that in most cases merely serves to stroke the wounded self-image of the hearer. Congregations are told that Jesus just wants to make them into the best “thems” that they can be. True union with Christ, life in the Spirit, repentance and faith has been lost amid the promises of fulfilled destiny. Jesus, who is Life itself, has become nothing more than an ingredient to add to your life to make it better. The meat of the Word has been reduced to hash-tags and fluffy tweets devoid of true substance by the purveyors of the GMOCOA. Like Samson who scraped honey out of the carcass of a lion, ate it himself, and then gave it to his unsuspecting parents; the GMOCOA’s “gospel” is pleasing to the taste. But instead of experiencing life and wholeness in Jesus, those who eat it are left wanting.

Most opponents of GMOs in America insist that while the corporate manufactures claim that they produce these organisms to help feed the world’s population, the true motivation is profit. I think a similar motivation may be found within the GMCOA. As many within the American “church” sense the impending doom of the traditional Christian corporation, the desire to keep their “corporations” in tact is concealed within the words of “the great commission.” So many pastors today are doing everything they can to keep the “business” up and running. The building or complex has become the church, and the people (those in Christ who actually are the church) are merely the means by which to maintain it. Sadly, much of what is done “in the name of Jesus” today is actually an attempt to keep the “business” and the “business men” in the black.

To combat GMOs, the experts say it is best to “go organic.” Perhaps the same advice should be heeded by us Christians. Let’s turn away from the artificial and contrived additives we’ve introduced into the body of Christ. And being motivated by Love alone, let us pursue true, living intimacy with Jesus and each other.

Holy Fantasy

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

I have someone very dear to me who is really having a hard time with…, well, life in general. They recently told me that although they love Jesus and desire to follow him, they just can’t seem to “get it together.” Destructive relationships, substance abuse, struggles of all kinds, you name it; they are in a bad way. Well, unbeknownst to them, I rode by their house the other day. I didn’t knock or go in. They never even knew I was there. I just sat in the car for a moment. And as I sat there, I began to fantasize about what I’d like to do for them.

I thought to myself that if I had the means to do it, I’d go up, knock on the door, tell them to pack up their stuff, say goodbye to _ _ _ _ _ _, and move them in with me. As I thought about this, I realized that my moving them in with me would only really change their environment. The initial move would not somehow magically make them “change.” If I did that, if I were to take them out of their circumstances, I would need to do so with an understanding that the move was only the first step. I would have to commit for the long haul.  They would mess up. They would stumble. They may even resist my influence even after I reached out for them. Chances are, they would probably sneak back over and see _ _ _ _ _ _ again. But I thought to myself, I don’t care, I love them, and what ever it took to help them- I would do it. That’s when the Spirit whispered to me.

Can you believe that God has “fantasized” about you? Before the world was ever created, he saw you in Jesus, filled with his very life. He saw you experiencing the very fellowship of the Father, Son and Spirit. And the cool thing is, he does have the means whereby to make his “fantasy” reality. He loves you, and when he draws your heart to himself, he does so knowing full well that the initial “move” is only the first step. He knows you will stumble, struggle, resist and probably sneak back over to see _ _ _ _ _ _ again. He KNOWS all these things going into it, so don’t believe the lie that because of your struggles he may give up and abandon you. He is committed to complete the work he began in you when he came and moved you out of your reality into his. This may sound strange, even offensive to some, but the Father would no more leave you than he would Jesus. Think about that!!

Jesus was praying and said,“[Father], I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” (John 17)

501c3 Hypocrisy

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Christians in  America today have become consumed by and divided over political ideology. This is unfortunate, and I would argue  “unchristian” as well. I would also argue that it reveals the hypocrisy prevalent in mainstream American “christianity.”  What do I mean? Let me explain.

The “christians” on the right lament, “The left is the antichrist!” Those on the left cry, “The right is the antichrist!” The Libertarians cry, “Both parties are the antichrist!” But they all have one thing in common. But no matter who is in charge, the “church” gladly holds on to their 501c3 and takes advantage of the tax breaks concerning tithes and offerings. The “church” claims that a government that uses tax dollars to fund birth-control goes against their religious beliefs, but then allows those same “atheistic tax dollars” to pay for their churches.  You can wrap “it” up in pretty paper, put bows and ribbons on it, but it’s still hypocrisy.

You may not agree with me, but I think the whole political system is “antichrist.” It’s time for the Church to get “out of bed” with the government, and be the bride of Christ. I believe that in the not so distant future the precious 501c3 will be taken away from any group that preaches the truth about Jesus. I believe that the gospel will be labeled as “hate speech,” and persecution/prosecution will be visited upon those who preach it. Why not throw this “yoke” off right now, and repent of the carnal allegiances that divide the body of Christ.

“Come out of her, my people,that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.”

 

Israel, Egypt & The American Church

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

For years my heart has become increasingly burdened for the American church. I have sought the Lord, prayed and wept as I have examined my own life and the state of things in “Christian” America. I was reading Isaiah 30 this morning, and though this word was originally spoken to Israel during a time when they were looking to Egypt for deliverance from their oppressors, I truly believe it is an applicable word for the American Church today.

It is my humble and sincere prayer that God’s Spirit will speak to you as you read the following words:

“’What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,’ says the Lord. You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced. For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes, all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you…

“Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witnessthat these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions.

“They tell the seers, ‘Stop seeing visions!’ They tell the prophets, ‘Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your Holy One of Israel.’

“This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: ‘Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies,calamity will come upon you suddenly— like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapseand come crashing down. You will be smashed like a piece of pottery— shattered so completely that there won’t be a piece big enough to carry coals from a fireplace or a little water from the well.’

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.’

“You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

“O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.

“Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images.You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, ‘Good riddance!’”

The Threshing Floor

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

We come now to the threshing floor, to the One whose winnowing fork is in his hand. The wind of the Spirit blows upon us, separating the wheat from the chaff.

We have sought fame and acceptance, hiding our fears behind words like: grace, mercy and tolerance. We have made idols out of denominations, doctrines and tradition. Idols without mouths and no word of the Lord upon their lips. Without hands, lest we be shaken from our slumber. Without feet, lest we be moved away from our apathy. The word of the Lord has suffered in the hands of idolatrous children who merely rise up to play, and lay down to rest.

We come now to the threshing floor, to the One whose winnowing fork is in his hand. The wind of the Spirit blows upon us, separating the wheat from the chaff.

We have planted vineyards of our own design and have become poisoned by the grapes of our own desires. “New wine, new wine.” the Spirit cries. But we harden our hearts against his voice, for we are drunk with our own beauty and our own glory. The holy vine has been strangled by the twisting vine of the world, and we resist the pruning shears of the Husbandman who would set us free.

We come now to the threshing floor, to the One whose winnowing fork is in his hand. The wind of the Spirit blows upon us, separating the wheat from the chaff.

We speak of unity and love, but view each other with suspicion. There is one bread from which we all partake and one cup of blessing from which we all drink. But we lay sick and dying for we have sinned against the Body. True communion has been sacrificed on the altar of carnal allegiances.

So now we come to the threshing floor, to the One whose winnowing fork is in his hand. As Ruth came to Boaz, we come softly and lay at your feet. You are our Redeemer. Humbly we pray that the wind of your Spirit would blow upon us, removing from our midst those things which grieve your heart. We would be wed to only you.

The REAL “Game” of Thrones

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

“Signs, signs everywhere are signs…”

It is your throne Lord that is established forever. Give us, your people, wisdom. Give us discernment that we might recognize the times in which we live. Give us hearts that burn for you! Stir us by your Spirit that we may be roused from our sleep. O Lamb of God, you are Lord of all lords and King of all kings!

“Come out, come out from her my people.” As it was in the days of Noah, Genesis 11, the plains of Shinar, Nimrod & Semiramis, Mystery Babylon, mother of prostitutes and earth’s abominations, I.S.I.S…

“One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters.  The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”

“So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it.  The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality.  A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.”  I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.

“Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits.  The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.

“This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings.  Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.

“The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction.  The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.  They will all agree to give him their power and authority.  Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

“Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language.  The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire.  For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”