more fire

On Sunday, September 2, my wife and I will be attending Irie Jamboree, North America’s premiere reggae festival, in Jamaica, Queens, NYC. This will be our third year at the event. And it will be our first year attending the event where we will be handing out gospel tracts and evangelizing to the Rastafarian and West Indian community. Please pray for us.

On July 23, the same date as Haile Selassie’s birthday, I was compelled by the Spirit of God to write a gospel tract for the Rastafarian community. Since then I’ve been sharing the gospel with Rastas in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The following post is taken from the tract. If you would like a copy of the tract, please email me and I will send it to you in a Word format and you can then print out as many copies as you’d like. My email is storbakken at gmail.

More fire!

Related posts:

• What did Haile Selassie say about Jesus Christ?
• The Book of Life

In 1892 Tafari Makonnen was born in Harar, Ethiopia to a royal family that claims descent from King Solomon and Queen Sheba. In 1930 Ras Tafari (that is Prince Tafari) ascended the royal throne to become Emperor Haile Selassie. At his coronation he was renamed Haile Selassie to reflect his faith. The name means “Power of the Trinity.” Selassie was an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and a devout follower of Jesus Christ. The imperial crest on the royal Ethiopian flag has a lion holding a cross. The image represents the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many Rastafarians claim that Selassie is the Christ or that he is the Second Coming. In a radio interview in 1967 Selassie said, “I have heard of that idea. I also met certain Rastafarians. I told them clearly that I am a man, that I am mortal and that they should never make a mistake in assuming or pretending that a human being is emanated from a deity.”

In his famous speech commemorating the Bible Selassie said, “No doubt you all remember reading in the Acts of the Apostles how Philip baptized the Ethiopian official. He is the first Ethiopian on record to have followed Christ, and from that day onwards the Word of God has continued to grow in the hearts of Ethiopians.”

THE GOOD NEWS

At a conference in 1966 in Berlin titled “One Gospel, One Race, One Task,” Haile Selassie opened the event with these words: “The love shown by our God to mankind should constrain all of us who are followers and disciples of Christ, to do all in our power to see to it that the message of salvation is carried to those of our fellows for whom Christ our Savior was sacrificed but who have not had the benefit of hearing the good news.”

What is the good news? The good news is the promise and hope of salvation that Jesus provides for the people of all nations. Jesus says, “The time has come. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15. When you repent you are changing the direction of your life from being self-centered (or earth-centered or politically-centered or any life that is centered in something other than God) and turning towards a life centered in the Lord God Almighty. When you repent you must also confess your sins to God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.

THE STONE THE BUILDERS REFUSED…

“So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation, and the one who trusts in him will never be dismayed,” Isaiah 28:16.

“It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12.

Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” John 14:6. You cannot save yourself, neither can Haile Selassie save you. It is Jesus Christ who suffered and died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later so that you might have faith in him and be saved. Jesus says, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 10:33.

Following Christ is a way of life. And the only way to the Kingdom of God is the way taught by Christ. There is no better time than the present to repent of your sins and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you are ready to follow Christ, turn from following the way of the world and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn away from living according to the standards of men and put God as your holy standard.

A PRAYER FOR YOU
Father in Heaven, you are holy. I pray that the person who is reading this prayer will be blessed by an encounter with you. I pray that the eyes and ears of their heart are open to your Living Word so that they might have salvation through your son Jesus Christ. Bless this person even now.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Many Christians are afraid to share the gospel. They fear they will be judged a zealot or, worse yet, a pushy holier-than-thou type. These are real concerns for a believer and shouldn’t be considered lightly. We, as the body of Christ, need to represent His righteousness (and not self-righteousness) to the world around us. So, how do we effectively share with another person the glory of which we are all invited to partake?

Start by being genuine and not judgmental. Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?” When you are sharing the gospel you are sharing good news with the person you are evangelizing. You are inviting that person to an amazing banquet (where you are not the host!). If they choose not to attend you can’t condemn them and if they do choose to attend you should thank the Host for extending the invitation through you.

It’s crucial to remember that we are not doing it alone. Jesus said, “I am with you always.” Take Jesus to task. Rely on him. Lean on his Spirit and his Word for wisdom and strength. Many believers rely on their own intellect when they talk with skeptics or atheists. This “talk” often escalates into a “debate” and that usually becomes nothing more than a battle of wills rather than an expression of God’s love working through the believer.

Apologetics definitely has its place, but Christ is not simply a defender of a belief system, he is leading the charge to advance the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, “the gates of hell shall not prevail.” Jesus is breaking through the gates to free the prisoners. He is penetrating darkness with light. He is meeting people where they are and redeeming them with his strength. Lean on him and remember it is him who saves.

Next, it is essential that you are prepared to share the gospel. It is Jesus who saves, but we are the vessels through which he works. We must be ready for him to use us. Isaiah wrote, “Seek and read from the book of the LORD.” It is so important to devotionally read the Bible and spend time in prayer. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved unto God.” Study, pray and seek God in all things and he will reveal himself through you.

As God reveals himself through you you become more sensitive to the needs of others. Our Lord Jesus was very sensitive to those seeking an intimate relationship with him, yet he never watered down his message. Paul’s words to the church at Corinth are golden: “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” Today some churches (i.e. evangelists, pastors, et al) have become more sensitive to the seeker than they are to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We should not abandon those people who are genuinely seeking to know God, but we need to remain faithful to the gospel.

Lastly and most importantly, do as Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to everyone,” Mark 16:15. That means, be a bold and faithful witness. Present the gospel honestly, invite people to the banquet and give God thanks for allowing you to invite everyone.

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:2

“My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” Isaiah 26:9

It’s amazing that we are allowed to have such an intimate and immediate relationship with the The Most High. We were made for holiness and by continually entering His presence our whole being is sanctified. The psalmist and prophet, in the verses I’ve posted, are encouraging a genuine longing for God. They are ardently promoting that we sincerely desire God with desperation and urgency. By fellowshipping with the Lord we are saturated by His very Spirit of Holiness. Enter the prayer room and let the oil of joy drench you from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. Seek His holiness and be encouraged by His Word and His Spirit. Thirst for God.

The man of God must be a man of prayer. Too often the ministry of prayer is relegated to the women in the church family. Bless those woman who have taken the charge to intercede on behalf of others through prayer, but it is a shame that the men are not ardently following in the steps of the prophets, the psalmists and our Lord Jesus Christ who persistently, diligently and intensely called on the name of the Lord.

The man of God must be a ram’s horn through which God blows triumphant. He must be willing to fall on his knees and submit to the authority of The Most High. He must be tender to the Living Word, sensitive to the Holy Spirit and bold when calling on the name of God. The man of God needs to avail himself wholly to God. That is, he needs to completely and utterly surrender to the specific plan God has ordained for his life. When God says wait, wait. When God says move, move.

Always and constantly “seek the counsel of God,” 1 Kings 22:5. That means, always pray. Posit yourself daily before His Throne. And pray. Humble yourself. Place your self-perceived knowledge and wisdom, your self-esteem and self-confidence on the altar of God and pray for holy fire to burn up all such self-reliance and self-exaltation (i.e. chaff). Humble yourself and pray, “Lower, God, make me lower so that only only you are exalted.” Pour out all your self-worth on the altar of God until you can say, “God, only you are worthy.” Pour out your cup upon His altar and let Him fill you with His Spirit until you are overflowing with the love and potency of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Depend on the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to teach you to pray. Ask Him to pray for you. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express,” Romans 8:26. Pray fervently, sincerely and with genuine zeal. Pray always. I used to think that prayer is speaking to God and meditation is listening to Him. Now I understand that prayer is a conversation with God, which means it is both speaking and listening.

Brothers, be real in your prayers. If you don’t know what to pray ask God and wait on Him to give you prayers. Be patient and stay on your knees. Put every book away, except the Bible. Take the Bible into the prayer room with you, not to learn its literary history or to gain a greater contextual understanding, but to hear what the Lord our God is saying.

Prayers aren’t measured by time nor by number nor by flowery language, but by sincerity and intensity. Just like when you are praising God, your whole being is called when you are also praying to Him. Seek God with all your heart. “The fervent effectual prayer of the righteous man is powerful,” James 5:16. God hates strange fire. Don’t work up an emotion of intensity. Avoid being mechanical. The Judgment Seat of God is in the inner chamber, but so is the Throne of Grace, if it wasn’t no one would ever enter in. All who would enter the Holy Presence and live must have a sincere desire for God and a conscience set on dwelling in the light.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Phillippians 4:6.

Related posts:

• Pray continually
• Hannah’s prayer
• Pray for fire

Suggested reading:

• E.M. Bounds on Prayer
• The Path of Prayer by Samuel Chadwick
• Revival Praying by Leonard Ravenhill

“Pray without ceasing,” 1 Thess. 5:17.

Recently I took that verse to heart and spent several days in prayer. I awoke and prayed. I walked to the park praying. Before, during and after meals I continued praying and giving thanks. Even into the night I continued pouring myself out before my God.

During the third or so day of prayer I awoke in the middle of the night and was surprised to find that I was still praying. In fact, it wasn’t actually me praying, rather it was the Holy Spirit of God praying through me. I decreased and my God gave increase, I was weak and He was strong and fervent.

I was utterly dependent and the Lord was revealing His glory. I leaned on His Spirit and he lifted me up to see His face. He interceded on behalf of me. He groaned and gave utterance. He spoke words of praise and adoration to my Lord when my tongue failed. He filled my heart with blessings when I was exhausted.

Praise and glory to my Lamb, my Lord. Skilled orations or haughty poetics will never capture my love for Him or His love for me. Oh, how I love Him, my Lamb, my Lord. He sits on the throne and all creation bows before Him. He reigns on high.

Burn incense,
anoint with oil,
heal in His name,
move mountains,
trample snakes,
wash feet,
eat the Book,
dream dreams,
pray prayers,
surrender,
speak the language of angels,
empty self and let Spirit pour in,
exalt the Name,
lift our hands,
magnify His Word,
bow our hearts,
love relentlessly,
sing glory and hallelujah,
worship at the throne of the Lord God Almighty forever and ever.

Birthday wishes that is! Today is my big 3-0! On this day 30 years ago my sweet little 17 year old mother was giving birth to an 8 lb. 11 oz baby boy as my 16 year old dad stole a bicycle so he could ride to the hospital and see me. That’s determination, on both counts. Thank God for blessing me with the awesome parents he specifically chose for me.

Other historic events (not that my b-day exactly qualifies as historical) that occurred on August 6:

• 70 AD - the last sacrifice was made at the Jewish temple in Jerusalem
• 304 - Saints Justus and Pastor, martyrs in 304 at Complutum
• 1825 - Bolivia gains independence from Spain
• 1962 - Jamaica gains independence from the United Kingdom
• 1923 - Henry Sullivan swims the English Channel
• 1926 - Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping
• 1945 - Hiroshima is devastated by an atomic bomb
• 1960 - Cuban Revolution
• 1965 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into United States law
• 1911 - Lucille Ball, actress, born
• 1928 - Andy Warhol, American artist, born
• Catholic liturgical feast - Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ

My wife and I are in the midst of forming an intentional missional community at our brownstone house in Brooklyn, New York. If you are unsure what all that means, check out the links on our new blog at Radical Living! (I’ve also put the link in the blogroll.)
For the past year we have been perusing Christian Web sites and classifieds to advertise rooms for rent. Now that the house is mostly full of believers we are implementing the next step, i.e. fellowshipping, house meetings, barbecues, etc.

We hope that the house will be a place of prayer, fellowship, evangelization, and, of course, art and music. So please, check out the new blog, which is rather sparse at the moment, and take a look at what we’re trying to do. Also, please pray for us, the community and the house. God bless. And more fire!

A man was walking along San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge when he saw a woman about to jump off. He ran up to her, trying to dissuade her from committing suicide. He told her simply that God loved her. A tear came to her eye.
He then asked her, “Are you a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu, or what?”

“I’m a Christian,” she replied.

He said, “Me, too! Small world! Protestant or Catholic?”

“Protestant.”

“Me, too! What denomination?”

“Baptist.”

“Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”

“Northern Baptist.”

He remarked, “Well, ME TOO! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”

She answered, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”

He said, “Well, that’s amazing! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist or Northern Conservative Reformed Baptist?”

“Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist.”

“Remarkable! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern Region?”

She told him, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region.”

“A miracle!” he cried. “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”

She said, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”

He then shouted, “DIE, HERETIC!”, and pushed her over the rail.

To read the full article check out the post at the theology blog, Parchment and Pen.