In early 2009 I wrote this. Why recycle things? Because some times our revisit of history reveals things. At least it does for me. It may show me “son, this is not the first time I have talked to you about this.” Or it may show that things happened the way I or others saw it or perhaps they happened, not as we might have seen.

So here is some 6 year old wine!

Something in the air…

Yesterday at 6:18am I woke up to early thinking something is in the air. Even the birds are quiet today. Interesting effect. Tina opened the drapes and the coolness is there. That something feels like we have entered into something deeper.

In my wakening time I felt that we had “missed” something in the church. I always want to say “basics.” Is it possible deeper could be basic? So many are seeking experience at places with people, when it appears that deeper is the one anothers of the scriptures. Loving one another, being submitted to one another, sharing with one another. We are in a moment where God is allowing for us to see the needs. I have watched Iran and thought that could be here shortly. People are angry, frightened, discouraged. Myself, I have found myself devoting so much time to preparation and what is going on that I am often missing the realities of family and friends. There is a moment for restoration and refueling through our recognition of some of the basics.

I love a lot of the revelation and response to God, but I am seeing the day to day existence of people not lining up with those times. Yesterday, my friend Dave was sharing a selling technique called mirroring. This is when you are having a conversation with someone and you match their posture to make them feel comfortable with you. I thought are we “mirroring” the culture of people we come in contact with? Are we getting close to them? Or have we set ourselves in unreachable places determined to be more “spiritual” than others. The other day a friend and I talked about the increase in many “evangelical” churches. We also spoke of the new buildings that many religions were building and why were we not seeing that in the charismatic church. According to the charismatic church these people were not as spiritual. Many would say “seeker sensitive” or something to indicate they are getting them by some “default.”

I come back to the basics. The one anothers. People are needing people, not pithy remarks and sayings. They are needing people to reach out. I see cults and “milk toast” churches reaching out while many charismatics sit and wait for it all to be over in some sense.

Love must return to the church. Test yourself. Do you speak down to others? Respond harshly? Avoid people? I found my self so agitated on Saturday(A lot from the pain I was in.) that I sent out missiles lacking love to representatives and legislators saying “enough is enough.”

Basics are deep. Revelation without response is religion.

I think something is about to happen…

I wrote that article and I can tell you things changed in my life. We moved. My heart grew softer, yet again. We need one another. How else will we turn a nation from sinful actions and destruction? Bring integrity and honor to our government? Sometimes we get so caught up on the majors that we forget the minors.

For three nights in a row, I have had a dream, where someone came in to where I was working, shopping or visiting and they had a gun. They were so close to me that I had to make an attempt to stop them. In each case they were overcome. We have the power. But do we have the love?

Folks,we are not Pollyanna’s with our heads stuck in the sand, hunkered down, awaiting some “great day”. We are overcomers. And that is not tomorrow but today. Yesterday, I had concerns only to run into a young person headed to the hospital because their heart was out of control. My concerns were minimal in light of their difficulties. I took the opportunity to pray for them before they headed out to the ER.

I realized yesterday that one of my “signs” of maturity was NOT that I had majored on the 9 manifestations of the Spirit as cool as they may be, but that I was wowed by the fruit of the Spirit that had occurred in my life over the years.

• Love? Not sure I knew what that was when I came into the Kingdom. Clearly God grew that up in me. Even as I pray for those who have hurt me. Injured me. Walked on me. Tears well up in my eyes.
• Joy? Years of drug abuse and depression were removed by the presence of the King. Now I look for His beauty and His presence and embrace all that He has for me.
• Peace? I knew no peace when I walked through the doors. I was motivated by fear, anger and pain until He came into my life.
• Forbearance? That touches on one of those 4 letter words…patience. The ability to stand back a little. Yep, He messed with that one as well. My “I want it and I want it now” was gone.
• Kindness? Fairly certain that was not on my radar screen unless I thought it might get me somewhere. He put His “kind” in me and it grew.
• Goodness? That was not a word folks used to describe me. I was not good. And then He touched me.
• Faithfulness? Oh, I had most of the cash register type of faithfulness down, but I had also let down more than a few over the years. He made me who I am.
• Gentleness? Let me just say this must be one of those “late harvest” fruits. I still feel like a bull in a china shop.
• Self control? Hmmm… Where did the impulsivity and brashness go?

At some point I may expound on those but I am clearly more impressed by the keeping power and diligence of the Lord in my life than I am with some of the “power gifts”, because in the end it has the potential to “boil down” to character and integrity.

So what is the purpose of the fruit? Well, I think it is to help you overcome in your life and be in the lives of others. Think about that. Who is helped by those fruits appearing in one’s life? Fruit that Jesus called “long standing”.

So, can I encourage you to not use that list or any other list just to check off things? This is not a test. You are not being graded for knowing the material.

At the bottom of this I am putting together a list of the one another’s. Yes it is a list! But not for your refrigerator. But for you to read and think about. To meditate on. Sure you can say “got this” or “I don’t got this” but God wants you to have it all. Ask Him. “Lord, I am not good at this. Will you help me?”

Have a blessed day!

Leviticus 19:11 “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.’

John 13:14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,you also should wash one another’s feet.

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 5:19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 3:11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

1 John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God

lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Hebrews 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

Philippians 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Corinthians 12:25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

Galatians 5:15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

1 Corinthians 11:33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other.

Romans 1:12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.