If there is one thing I hate (although I am sure there is more then one) it is sin in the Church. I hate sin full stop, but sin in the Church, just seems like a double whammy.

I think we are familiar with the story of Achan. He sinned and the Israelites couldn't continue on until it was revealed who was the sinner and then that sinner was purged. So the Lord called him out tribe by tribe by clan by clan by family by family by man. Then Achan was stoned.

The beauty of the Cross though is that after confession there is forgiveness and Christ, by his suffering and death, made an atonement for the whole world and whosoever will may be saved (ht:d6), and so that means the sinner in the Church doesn't necessarily need to be stoned.

But in the meantime, before confession what happens? We stop. Our personal holiness affects our corporate holiness. Our personal fruit, good or bad, affects our corporate fruit. And you know a tree by it's fruit. So we stop....while we wait for confession and forgiveness we stop, halt in our tracks. Our fruit stops, and actually when fruit stops and is idle is when it begins to rot. On the vine and growing the fruit is good, but that banana on my kitchen table will begin to go bad very shortly if it stays idle. We will begin to go bad if we idle, but we cannot go on until sin is purged.

So how do we go about exposing this, so that we are not in halt position so long that we go bad? Joshua and the elders wore sackcloth and fell facedown on the dust. Maybe that's what we need to do - I'm game.

What about a big Church confession time. Everyone takes turns confessing and repenting of sin. And because of Jesus, we wont have to stone anyone. I bet we could get the whole world saved by our holiness in no time.

I realise I'm being a bit jumpy in this post - but I am just fed up with it.

Sin sucks.

Sidenote - I think it's kinda profound that the story of Achan is right after the victory of Jericho...hmm something to think about.

So, then - what is the balance between confidentiality and exposing the hidden sin? If someone confesses sin to you, but rejects accountability, and has asked you to keep it confidential?

Can I be so bold and suggest that confidentiality is sinful?

Well, now that I have been somewhat of a downer - let me end with some good news...
Jesus has made the atonement. There is no death for us. No stones or pebbles will be thrown our way. Repent. Confess. Be holy.

And if you aren't going to be Holy for yourself (although it is a much sweeter life then the ulterior) - do it for the Church, so we can move on.

Consecrate yourselves today - for tomorrow the Lord will do great things.

Noah (4 yrs old): That is from The Salvation Army (pointing to some magasine I think)
Me: What is The Salvation Army
Noah: An army
Me: An army of what?
Noah: Souls
Nicole: What do we do?
Noah: We fight
Me: What do we fight?
Noah: The leauge of darkness

Then 2 year old Dominic walks into the room, un aware of the previous conversation...

Nicole: Dominic, what is The Salvation Army
Dominic: An army of soldiers.
Nicole: What do we do?
Dominic: Fight
Nicole: What do we fight?
Dominic: Noah

Perhaps in 2 years, Dominic will realise that we are not fighting Noah, but as Noah says, we are fighting the leauge of darkness - but he's definetly got the first part nailed down.

My conversation with Noah continues...

Nicole: How do we fight?
Noah: A sword and sheild.
Nicole: Whats a sword and sheild?
Noah: Swords get away evil things, and a shield stops something from hurting you.
Nicole: Well, thats true, a sword is the Word of God
Noah: (in a frusterated tone) 'I KNOW'.
Nicole: So, whats a sheild, or who is our shield?
Noah: God

Noah (and Dominic) reminded me today of the importance of not being blind to warfare. Surprisingly, it has been a while since I viewed warfare in a militant sence. But that can get us in a dangerous place of apathy, tolerance and ignoance. But lets fight (in love, becuase love never fails) with our swords (word of God) and sheilds (God -from Psalm 91, or faith as Paul suggests in Ephesians) to destroy the leauge of dakness.

Across the street from my apartment there is a strip bar. I walk by it everyday. The sign on the outside often reads "Your day starts here, with ice cold beer" and it sickens me. Addiction is huge in my neighbourhood and places like the No. 5 Orange feed these addictions, it is shameful.

So the other day I was walking by and they were painting it, bright orange. They were painting it to attract people, make it look 'better'. The No. 5 was a dull, dirty orange until a couple days ago, now it is the brightest orange you will ever see - you cant miss it. As I was walking by it I was disgusted at how they were making this place that promotes human trafficking attractive. And without consciously deciding I spat on the wall. It was like something (I'm going to go with a holy anger) rose up in me. Now I don't spit, I think it is gross - but I guess I think a bright orange building that attracts rich sleazy men into my neighbourhood to idolise women for their bodies is pretty repulsive too.

On a brighter side (bright at in Holy Radiance - and not as in this repulsive orange), there is a Salvation Army produced sign on the bus stop right in front of the No. 5 that reads www.thetruthisntsexy.ca - and has some graphic and gut wrenching shots of those enslaved by human trafficking - pretty redemptive I say.

The Commissioner came and taught at the War College the other day. Check out The War College blog for some highlights, and even an mp3 of the class.

I love it when the Lord speaks. Full stop. But I really love it when he speaks loud and clear. What the Commissioner had to say to us on Monday has really tied into what the Lord has been saying to me lately.

Perfect love casts out all fear. I wonder if people who haven't been perfectly loved, as in living in abusive environments, struggle more with fear then others do?

In Acts 2 we read that fear was replaced by boldness. Peter had feared (when he denied Jesus for one) and then here he is preaching at Pentecost. Now that's a radical changeover, from denying Jesus when the rooster crows, to preaching, confronting the mockers and then about three thousand souls were saved...come on!

Perfect love casts out all fear. Jesus' death and resurrection is the ultimate love act - the most perfect way we are loved. That perfect love I reckon played an important part of Peter's fear to boldness change.

Boldness comes after the filling of the Holy Ghost - The Commissioner taught us that on Monday.

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Yesterday I was talking about discipline (and discipleship) - I found out that that the etymology of the word (both of them) mean 'from - di' and ' knowledge (sci)'. Kinda cool

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I don't like confrontation - if you know me at all you know I avoid it terribly. In fact I hate it and I would probably lean more towards the pre-bold Peter's way of handling confrontation. But I do like evangelism - yet if I don't like confrontation have can I possibly evangelise effectively - for evangelism is nothing but confronting.

Discipline is easy.
Yup you read that right.

When discipline becomes routine it becomes easy. Easy might be the wrong word, I kind of shutter at the word easy sometimes, but discipline that becomes routine simply makes life better. The fruit proves so - taste and see that the Lord is good.

I think discipline, coupled with discipleship (and I'm sure there is some word origin/connection there) is foundational in the deliverance of sin and strongholds. I think to stay free, one must be disciplined in freedom - it's like a precautionary guard against backsliding. I was recently delivered from addiction, although I might be hitting the mark where the word 'recently' will no longer fit, and when I look back to those times and think about what, aside from Christ, I can credit my deliverance and freedom to - and what it is is discipline. Sure, anyone at anytime can simply stop an addictive behaviour - whether it be for 5 minutes, a day, a month - but it takes discipline to remain stopped.

Not only does discipline act to protect one from backsliding, it also prevents sin and guards your holiness. John the Baptist had this theory down. By living a fasted lifestyle (a disciplined lifestyle) he remained upright and pure. Discipline is fruit of holiness (or is holiness fruit of discipline), either way this fruit is good.

There are so many ways to be practical in this. Set your alarm 5 minutes (although be hardcore and go for the full hour) early and get up to spend that much more time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word. Blog weekly (if you are more hardcore then that, daily), join us in MTB (I will post it weekly - this weeks verse(s):
1 John 5:11-12 "For this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life which is found in his Son. He who has the Son has life, and he who does not have the Son does not have life"

What are some practical ways to be disciplined in your daily life? (Leave comment now)

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How is Nicole doing?

Well. Almost done Jeremiah - it was a slow trek through the book - but well worth it. I have been meditating on Psalm 91 this week and loving the Lord's protection and coverage promised.

I came across an interesting realisation this week. I fear. Fear, mostly of peers and what they will think of me if I do or don't do something, kinda has too much control in my life. I avoid conflict and confrontation - which can lead to bitterness or anger - because of it. I don't rise up to the fullness of life that God has given me. And vision, prophetic words or really stinkin good idea I don't vocalise because people might disagree, or not like them. Is this really all because of fear? Wowee! To top it off, for a long time this fear has been masked as pride or shame - so I would pray and try to conquer those rather then fear. But now that my eyes are open, I trust that through discipline I can receive deliverance from a spirit of fear. Perfect love casts out all fear, and God disciplines the ones He loves. Hmmm

On another note - Danielle Strickland is in town (and staying at my place too). It's been good fun - and its been less then a day since her arrival. She is teaching an open class at The War College, Tuesday afternoon at 1300h - locals I encourage you all to come. If you are a night owl and are reading this in the next 4 hours - Commissioner Marilyn Francis is teaching then - come out for that too.

Peace!

Come to the War College next year please.
www.thewarcollege.com