THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE TOWEL
Footwashing has been observed by the Church for centuries. Some early church fathers understood footwashing as a sacrament and associated it with water baptism. Others used the word “mystery” when speaking of footwashing, and presented it as a sacred rite independent of communion and baptism. Churches representing all Christian traditions, from Roman Catholic to Pentecostal, observe this sacred act. Footwashing has often been adopted by various renewal movements as a protest against abuses of ecclesiastical hierarchy. Because early Pentecostals understood themselves to be a renewal of the “church of the Bible” the practice of footwashing was embraced. Every member was encouraged to observe this sacred act on the basis of fidelity to the Bible and the unity of the Church. Some have questioned the validity of footwashing. However, there are many biblical reasons why we should observe footwashing regularly.
Footwashing witnesses to the descent of the eternal Word. John declared that the eternal Word descended from glory and power to assume human nature (John 1:1, 14). This is a common theme in the New Testament. Peter spoke of the descent of our Lord when he “made proclamation to the spirits now in prison” (1 Peter 3:19). In a beautiful early hymn of the Church, Paul relates to us the heart of this Christology:
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself (Greek – kenosis), taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).
The apostolic tradition interprets the Incarnation using terms denoting humility and service. The image of Jesus rising from the table, laying aside his garments, taking a towel, pouring water into a basin, bowing before his disciples and washing their feet incorporates into one sacred action the significance of the Incarnation. In Christ’s own self-emptying he has revealed to us the glory of God. Likewise, Christians are called to emptiness and self-denial (Matthew 10:39; 16:24-25; 19:21; Mark 8:34-35; 10:21; Luke 9:23-24; 17:33; 18:22; John 12:26; Acts 2:45; 4:34-37; Philippians 2:3-5; 3:7-8). This is the spirituality of Footwashing – the fellowship of the towel (John 13:14-15). This is a difficult spirituality for Christians who live in a culture of affluence, where spirituality is defined in terms of prosperity and success. One who wishes to enter into the fellowship of the towel must first experience the kenosis, the emptying of one’s self. Footwashing is more than a sacred act of worship; it is a way of life.
Footwashing interprets Christ sacrificial death. Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet interprets the cross as the climax of the Son’s descent. Footwashing is presented in terms of Christ’s redemptive love and sacrificial death (John 13:1). As Jesus washed their feet, the disciples experienced a spiritual transformation. Through footwashing the disciples were cleansed and placed in fellowship with Him (John 13:8-10). Unless the disciples allowed Jesus to wash their feet, they could have “no part” of Him (John 13:8). Footwashing was not a matter of individual consciences, but a matter of salvation. Further, Jesus commanded his disciples to wash one another’s feet (John 13:14). By doing so, they affirmed each other as fellow believers. Footwashing interprets the cross as Jesus having laid down his life for his disciples. Likewise, he commanded his disciples to lay down their lives for one another.
Footwashing offers an opportunity for the sinful to confess their offenses and receive forgiveness.James wrote, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Too often, we have viewed confession of sin as private matter, a matter of concern only between the sinner and the Lord. However, confession and forgiveness of sin takes place within the community of faith. The sinner must seek forgiveness from and reconciliation with the offended person (Matthew 5:23-24). Within the community of Jesus’ disciples there had been a clash of egos and many examples of failure (Matthew 16:22-12; 26:47-49; 69-75; Mark 9:17-19; 10:35-41). But Jesus washed the feet of each one and commanded that they wash one another’s feet: “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (John 13:14-15). Footwashing demonstrates that the Church is a community of grace in which sinners are to be welcomed and restored.
Footwashing exemplifies authentic Christian ministry. The footwashing of the disciples was performed in the context of their apostolic mission. Jesus is the Divine Servant, the disciples are servants of the Divine One, and as such are servants to the world. The Apostle Paul twice used the metaphor of “feet” to speak of the proclamation of the Gospel (Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15). Among our greatest temptations is power and authority. Power intoxicates and corrupts the human soul. One would hope that those who serve the Church would not be so easily seduced. But we know that we are not immune. The first century Corinthian Church suffered from schism and turmoil. Many persons within the church challenged and rejected the apostolic ministry of the Paul. The leaders of this group were known as the “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5, NIV). The conflict between Paul and the super-apostles was due to their different models of ministry. The model of the super-apostles was that of persons of divine power who boasted in their charismatic gifts. Paul’s model was that of the “meekness and gentleness of Christ,” (1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 10:1). He seemed “unimpressive” and his preaching style was “contemptible” (2 Corinthians 10:10; 11:6). His ministry was characterized by “weakness and fear” and he suffered from many bodily ailments, one of which was a “thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan” (1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 4:3). When the members of the Corinthian Church compared the two models of ministry, they favored the super-apostles. However, with all the apparent strengths of the super-apostles they lacked what is necessary to establish an authentic Christian ministry – a model of ministry that follows after the example of Jesus Christ! In fact, they were not super-apostles, but false apostles! (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Authentic Christian ministry is not defined in terms of bold, charismatic leadership; but in the willingness to lay all garments aside, to take up the towel and basin in order to wash the feet of God’s people.
Published by Dan Tomberlin @ danieltomberlin.net
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God Can Do Anything But Fail
The difficult He does immediately, the impossible takes a little longer! So never give up, never take no for an answer, where there's a will there's a way, and nothing is too hard for the Lord. The Lord can do anything if you'll just give Him a chance.
"God can do anything, anything, anything,
God can do anything but fail!
He can save, He can heal,
Just believe and He will,
God can do anything but fail!"
We know, Lord, that You can do it, and we know You WILL do it if we'll believe and trust You! You always make a way, if we obey and do it Your way. If we do all we can do, Lord, we know that you'll do the rest, as much as possible. And if it even comes to the impossible, Lord, you're an expert at that. For with Thee nothing shall be impossible and all things are possible to those that believe. (Lk.1:37; Mk.9:23) So help us, Lord, to believe and do all we can, and trust You for the impossible! You can do anything but fail, and we'll never fail as long as we trust You, Jesus!
"Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specialises in things thought impossible
And He can do what no other friend can do!"
-From Deep Truths_
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Timing Is Everything!
It is the expectation of every believer to not only be in the perfect will of God, but to stay in step with Him as well. We know in Ecclesiastes 3:1, that it talks about to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. At the beginning of this year, we talked about this being a season of abundance for those who have been diligently seeking God and for those who have been faithful to Him for many seasons. It’s like the farmer who has been diligent and faithful to overlooking his fields for many seasons and justly reaping the rewards.
This is a year of abundant justly reaping for the diligent and faithful believers, and it’s going to cause many who have not been faithful and diligent to take note of what is happening. Timing for the faithful and a time to take notice for the less faithful. Now, the purpose under heaven for all of this is to bring the Church back to its’ roots of being a true and faithful follower of Christ’s agenda and not mans’ agenda.
God provoked the Israelites to jealousy when they would not accept Him, but the Gentiles did accept Him. It moves the Father to action when you accept His word, His only begotten Son, and continue to accept Him day in and day out. The time to take action is now saints, and it has been since the beginning of this year. If you haven’t been whole-hearted in your commitment, make the commitment today at this moment. Don’t wait another day. This is one of the greatest times in the Church Age to step up and take the time to get to know how the Kingdom of God works. Now without question, this is something we should always practice, but I’m talking about those special seasons of harvest that have been purposed from above.
In Matthew 4:17-19 it says, From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. These were men who made their living at fishing in the natural for food, and Jesus said it is time to feed the multitudes supernatural food. Go and catch the attention of man to kingdom thinking, and the way to come into this was to repent – to turn away from your present carnal ways of doing things and turn to God. Jesus was the representative of heaven as He was God in the earth in a flesh suit. Jesus came to earth at just the right time to preach about the kingdom of heaven. 2013 is the right time to come into the abundance of the things of God by following Christ faithfully, turning from your old natural ways, turning to God and stepping into the supernatural.
The timing of this blog, I know, is going to touch a lot of viewers. You haven’t stepped up yet like you thought you were going to, but I’m here to encourage that it’s not too late. We’re heading into the middle of March and you can still get in sync with the cadence beat of the Holy Spirit. If you feel you need an extra shot of encouragement then tell us how we can help you by letting us know in the comment section. We will assist you as your spiritual personal trainer. Remember: Timing is Everything.
Posted on March 15, 2013 by John Powers
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Open Up the Heavens!
Prayer is a basic in the Christian faith, but many times we try to complicate it!
There is nothing more effective than a heartfelt prayer. The Lord loves it when we lay our request at His feet and trust Him with the rest. This is not to say that we will get exactly what we pray for, but it is claiming the authority that you have as a child of God.
We need to act on the authority given to us by Christ. Let's take ownership of our calling, and through prayer, bring heaven down to earth!
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." James 5:16-18
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
If you feel unsure in the area of prayer, start out simple. Ask the Lord to start a journey of consistent prayer. Think of it as a conversation with the Lord. He loves to hear your voice, and He loves to talk to you in return. The more you pray, the more you will begin to see the fruit of prayer and implement it as a daily habit.
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Yahweh Is Talking To You
YAHWEH IS TALKING TO YOU!
Every day our Creator speaks to us. The problem is, often we're not listening. He speaks to us in a variety of ways. The main way is through His written Word. But how can we hear if we don't read or listen to that Word? He also speaks through inspired personal prophecy...through preachers...through songs...through the testimonies of other Believers...through Godly counsel...through text messages :-)...etc.
Are you listening? You see, FAITH is absolutely essential for receiving anything from the Lord. Hebrews 4:2 tells us this about the Israelites in the wilderness..."the word preached to them was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." What was true then, is still true today.
Romans 10:17: " So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God." Faith is necessary to receive all of Yahweh's promises. Hebrews 11:6: "Without FAITH it is impossible to please God." If we are going to please God we must walk by faith. If we are going to hear God we must walk by faith!
Mark 9:23:
"Everything is possible for him who believes."
By faith, hear His voice and receive His Word.
He is talking to you. Are you listening?
Shalom!!! - Dale Croft
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Forgetting Forward
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).
There are some things that we need to forget as we “press forward.”
We must forget our resentments. We need to let go of these resentments because they poison our lives. Issues must be resolved. They color our whole perspective of life. Let the new year provide us with an opportunity of both offering forgiveness and seeking forgiveness. Once Peter asked Jesus about the limits of forgiveness and discovered that mercy has no end (Matthew 18:21-35). As Christians you and I have been the recipients of God’s grace and mercy. We have been set free from the power of sin and the guilt that can cripple the spirit. As Christians, we are commanded to be just as gracious and merciful to those who have offended and injured us. In doing so we set them free of their sin against us and we set ourselves free of the bitterness and resentment that clouds our mind and poisons our heart.
We must forget our anxieties. Informed concern is necessary. But many of us have needless anxieties that nag, cripple and crush. Constant anxiety as one’s companion is really a disguised form of atheism, because it is a confession that we do not trust in the care and presence of God (Matthew 6:25-33).
We must forget about our failures. Each of us has known some kind of failure. So many of us focus our lives only on our difficulties, failures, and lost opportunities. Every person of faith has a moment of faithlessness. Abraham, the friend of God, twice gave his wife into adultery. Moses, the great servant of God, was prohibited from the Promised Land because of his disobedience. David, the man after God’s own heart, committed adultery. Peter, the apostle of Pentecost, denied Christ three times. If these persons of faith had focused on their personal failures the history of redemption would be much different. Instead, each of them pressed on!
We must forget our victories and achievements. Sometimes we focus too much on our past victories that we forget that we are victorious because of the power, grace and ministry of God (Romans 8:37). Also, there is the danger of focusing on our achievements so that we begin to think that we have arrived. We no longer press on. This leads to spiritual indifference and then to spiritual death!
As we “press on” there are some things that we must remember.
We must remember our conflict within. Paul said, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish” (Romans 7:18f). We all have to confess that sometimes we do good and sometimes we do evil. Each of us is sinful. Sometimes we sin because of deliberate rebellion. Sometimes we sin because of omission (James 4:17). We should remember our nature because it reminds us of the continuing grace of God. We need to be constantly aware of His grace, of the strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit, and of the intercession of our High Priest, Jesus Christ.
We must remember the lessons we have learned from our difficulties. It is often said that if we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. Our difficulties are important to our Christian faith, for it is in our difficulties that our faith is perfected (Romans 5:3; James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6). The apostles tell us that in every trial, temptation or tribulation we can have joy because the result will be our ultimate salvation. Paul said, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Ro. 8:28).
Our future is a vast undiscovered country. But it is certain in Christ and we know the ultimate end. It is between the now and the end that seems so threatening. But let us resolve as did Paul to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Written by Dan Tomberlin @ www.dantomberlin.net
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God’s Grace Is Sufficient!
God’s Grace Is Sufficient……How does that work?
How sufficient can God’s grace be for you personally if you don’t know how to apply it to make it work? Just because your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life doesn’t mean God’s grace is automatically going to start changing everything in your life. You are in position to be able to receive His grace because you are a member of the family of believers. Your old man can become new, and as he is becoming new, the old man will fall away. The old man, the old sinful nature and all the baggage that went with him, can begin to shrink and lose its form because there is now an opportunity for you to transform. Set before you is a whole new way to live, and all you have to do now is to learn how to connect to this grace that is sufficient.
Let me explain this transformation process of the new man by God’s grace which works by faith in a way you can relate. One day, you decide to make a change to your physical, outward body. You go to a place where you can accomplish this transformation process – the gym. You go and enroll into a membership program, and you automatically become a member of that organization. However, it doesn’t mean you automatically get the body you desire. You are only in position to receive that new body because you are now a bona fide member. Your name is in the book.
You want to put off the old body so you can put on a new one you desire. A personal trainer approaches you and says, “You will find this place is sufficient for all of your physical training needs. By being a member here, you are now in position to receive the new body you’ve always wanted and get rid of the old one you now have. But, you have to follow the instructions on how my fitness program works so you can get the results you are after. Otherwise, it isn’t going to work.”
When I make this comparison to getting spiritually fit, people begin to smile and get excited because they know how physical transformation works. When they hear it explained this way, they begin to hope. All they needed to hear was that there is a simple plan to follow for their spiritual body like there is for their physical body that will allow God’s grace to transform them, thereby being sufficient. Today’s blog was written to bring you hope in knowing the best is yet to come for you. Now you know that God’s grace will be sufficient once you know how to connect to it.
by John Powers
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Thursday Preparing For Passover
THE STORY
Holy Week took place during the Jewish Passover festival - the highlight of worship every year in Israel. It is estimated that there were about 2.5 million travelers in Jerusalem. During the Passover special preparations were made: roads were repaired, roadside tombs were whitewashed and for six weeks the meaning of Passover was taught in schools and synagogues. The people greeted each other saying, "Passover is near!"
Passover celebrates the night in Egypt when the Hebrews got their freedom from slavery in Egypt. As death entered Egypt that night with the judgment of God on Egypt for the sin of slavery, the Hebrews (and Egyptians who joined them) were safe inside their houses. Moses told them to offer a lamb as a meal for the family and friends and also to take a small portion of the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it on the sides and top of the doorframe of every house. God said, "When I see the blood I will pass over you" (Ex 12:13).
The blood was a covering of atonement protecting them from judgment. What does that mean to us as Christians? The Passover points to Jesus and his death on the cross for our sins. Paul says, "Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed" (1 Cor 5:7). John says, "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Peter say s, we "have been redeemed...by the precious blood of Christ" (1 Pt 1:18). The word redeemed means to be set free from slavery. The Hebrews were redeemed from Egypt but we have been redeemed from our sin s.
THE LESSON
The point is - Jesus, the Passover Lamb, died for our sins on the cross and his blood has both cleansed us from guilt and it covers us so we will never face judgment for our sins! We are cleansed and covered by the blood (the sacrificial death) of Jesus who took our judgment that we might be forgiven and pardoned from all sin.
THE ACTION
The first action step is to always bring our sins to God our heavenly Father and not cover them or hide them or deny them. He loves us and will always forgive us. The second action step is to live like we are forgiven and not live in guilt and shame. At the core of worship is thanksgiving to God for his amazing grace that has forgiven us and freed us. " They sang a new song: 'You are worthy ..because you were slain, and by your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth" (Rev 5:9-70).
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The Monday of Passion Week
THE STORY
Jesus spent the night in Bethany at his best friend Lazarus' home. The next day they went back to Jerusalem (two miles away) for him to teach the word of God in the Temple. On the way he saw a fig tree that should've been fruitful but it wasfruitless. So, he cursed the tree.
Later, the disciples saw the tree had dried up and withered. His words had power. He cursed the tree because the fig tree represented the religious leaders of Israel. They should've had faith in him but they rejected him. They had no spiritual fruit. '" Have faith in God,' Jesus answered . " Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them" (Mark 11:22-23).
THE LESSON
The lesson of faith is important for us. We need to expect that our faith in God will produce results. When we speak words of faith things happen!
Jesus tells us that if we believe that what we say will happen then it will happen. Faith is found in our hearts but also in our words. "We believe , therefore, we speak" (2 Cor 4:13). The story reminds us that our words matter and that there is power when we speak words of faith in God.
THE ACTION
Talk about the ways you have seen the positive impact of words of faith, hope and love. What are some of the negative effects of words of doubt and discouragement? As you pray today, pray the prayer of the psalmist David, "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer " (Ps 79:74).
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Making Dreams A Reality
That day in the future, you know the one I’m talking about. That dream of becoming a (Insert dream) will only be accomplished when you do the work today that needs to be done in order to get there. Dreams rarely just fall into your lap. Therefore, hard consistent effort must be you daily exercise.
When you apply faith to daily hard work, your dream will take one step closer to you. If you believe in your dream, and have the passion to see it come to pass, your dream will happen in God’s timing. Dreams are not accomplished through haste. Dreams require time to develop and grow. All great dreams take time to be accomplished. Don’t let impatience steal your dream by causing you to give up before you cross the finish line. You have the dedication it takes! There is no mountain you can’t climb with God help.
Nature often teaches us about patience if we will only notice. I spend a lot of time in the woods hunting and observing nature up close. For instance, I’ve seen birds building a nests as I’ve set for hours in a tree stand. I’ve watched them over hours and hours fly back, and fourth finding sticks and straw to build their nest.
At times, while the bird was away finding more material, the wind would blow away the previous work, but it didn’t deter the bird once it returned. The bird would simply replace what the wind blew away and continue building. The dream of a nest must move forward.
Pursuing your dream will not always be easy. You will have times that you feel like giving up and walking away. Hang in there! Don’t throw in the towel! God is with you and will give you the grace to take daily steps if you will just trust Him and keep moving and working. Don’t let anything or anyone discourage you from dreaming your dream and pursuing it. Don’t allow stumbling blocks and bad days to be the strongest voice in your life telling you to stop. Don’t settle for average, but instead, set your sights high and land among the stars.
John Maxwell describes a dream as “an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it.”
Allow me to give you a few tips on achieving the dream God has put inside of you.
1. Know what the dream is. (Write a book, Become a painter, Become…)
2. Plan the path and pray the path. (You need action steps empowered by prayer)
3. Bring others into your dream. (Find people who will keep you accountable)
4. Overcome fear. (Never allow fear to master you) 5. Stop waiting. (Today is the day you start and not tomorrow)
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will you dream. Now get going.
Adapted from author Steve Wrights, 1/20/13, at http://bit.ly/YHFfXh
