Last night I found myself in a contemporary temple. All the parts of the “Old Testament” temple were there. Laver, table, showbread and such. I felt an attraction to the laver and seeing myself and others as they looked into the waters.

Some of this is from the dream.

I believe in the coming days there are two words we are going to look at more closely. You are going to begin to hear the conversations start using the words or phrase more and more. One is dependency. The second, pushback.

Dependency

This means to be reliant or in need of something.

There is a factor of dependency that is being broken. God who is our “all sufficient” one will never stop providing. But a dysfunctional dependency on a man has the potential for damage. (Or a woman.) There are two areas I believe He is “revealing” (Many would agree that what is being revealed has always been there.) to His people.

One is the dependency on a man. To have a dependency on a person rather than see God as the “sufficient one” (And yes, I realize He uses people.) who has already made all provision is dangerous. It tells us in 2 Peter 3:1-5 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,…

In the early stages of our walk the walk may include those who instruct, coach or disciple. I agree with that and encourage it. What I become concerned over is the establishing of “infallibility” over a person, placing dependence on a man (Or woman.) rather that the person of Jesus. (John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ) By the nature of His life within, we abide in Him and carry His DNA. And to those who create the “need” in others for them, I also carry concern.

There was stage in my ministry where a wise man came to me and said this. “You are charismatic and people love you, but they cannot grow this way forever. You must point them to Jesus. For He is their sustenance.” Perhaps some of the best words ever spoken to me.

I loved my mom and dad and they sowed heavily into me, as did many spiritual parents over the years. But there is a point where you expect to fly and fly you must.

Let us be careful to not create “people dependent on people” so that they do not find a true understanding of Christ. Do not think for a moment I do not believe in coming King or think Jesus is not Lord. I am simply saying let us stop creating dependency not outlined by God.

Pushback

There is a word pushback, that is often used when talking about someone’s thinking or process that they are pressing towards you.  It may simply be in a dialog or conversation, or they may be trying to get you “over to their side”. Pushback can be defined as questioning or challenging the wording, posture or mind set.

For many a year people have believed certain things perhaps. Let us used the government for example.

At some point people began to “trust” the government. Their trust began to develop a dependency. But now that things had soured in the areas of economics and such people began to rise up. To develop an understanding of things like the Declaration Of Independence and the Constitution (Did you know there is a constitution of heaven declaring your independence?) and to begin to do things like run for office, vote and write letters. They “pushed back” against policies.

It is defined as such, 1.a mechanism that forces an object backward.  2. opposition or resistance to a plan. 3. the forcing of an enemy to withdraw.

We are soon going to hear this word more and more dealing with the two areas described in numbers one and two. There is a reformation that is taking place over theology, understanding and more. Reformation takes place as the old thinking is understood better, refined as nuance and understanding are applied and change is enacted. (We must be careful not to throw babies out in bathwaters, though.)

Here are a few that I find myself pushing back on.

Generation
The scriptures tell us that we are chosen generation. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” 1 Peter 2:9 We are not being called generations, but a generation.

I am concerned that when we relegate things to generations we take off the emphasis off what God set in motion which is a generation. So we talk about the younger will accept the reins of the older and such. But did He not say that all of creation is crying out for the mature sons of God to rise up? Think about that. Is the rising up a continual process or is it the one where it happens? The one where it is “fulfilled” in us. We use a lot of cultural and Old Testament application when in fact there is a New Covenantal process that perhaps ought to be applied. Whether you are 1 or 100 are you not this “chosen generation”?

Sovereignty
I use that word to cover the phrases that indicate “God has this covered” or “God will take care of that” thinking.

I would like to posit a question. Hebrews 10:12-14 says “but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.…” So if He is waiting for His enemies to be made a footstool, what is the expectation as to who is to do this? Specifically what is He going to do? Because I think “wait” means wait. And adding the following thought that we are to “pray for thy will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven” I think challenges a line or pushes back on conventional thinking that Go d is going to do it.

He has vested “all authority” to His people to carry out His will and His way, has He not?

Church
I am going to church. Somehow I went to church as a child but it had no impact on me. I did not become a believer. I did not even know there was such a thing as a believer. Folks, just because you walk into McDonalds will not make you a burger. Just going “to church” will not make you a believer or put you in His kingdom. There will have to be an act of faith to become a believer. You will have to…BELIEVE!

When a child hears that you are going “to church” and then hear you speak of heaven and God how to they determine the condition of belief?

Your children will love Him
A loving parent who loves his family as Christ loves them will never have to worry about their children loving whom they love. But when you describe a far off, distant God, who rules with an iron scepter, you have wandered off the path of love.

Let us stop going to church and in fact become the church. The church is an organism giving life, changing and growing.

Am I being a stickler? Perhaps. But too many have fallen to the wayside when “church” as they understood it did not pan out. When it became another social gathering (I do think fellowship is important.) or an “educational facility”(I do think teaching and discipleship are important.) and not a coming together of His body.

When the church is seen in its real role as a coming together of the body, giving life and establishing heaven on earth providing life and liberty, who doesn’t want to be there???