Perceiving mind map

Here is a mind map of thevpower of perceiving.

Perceiving Provision

Running like a program in the backrop at our church, the Chesapeake Vineyard, has been this dialogue on perceiving. Quite a few members of our church family have shared their thoughts both privately with me and publicly regarding this kernel of a concept which I believe can be liberating for Christians — especially evangelical and/or charismatic Christians who have been strongly steeped in faith and believing.

Last summer, a few months after I re-started this discussion, one of the speakers in our church, Paul Moseley, shared about the etymology of the greek (and english) word “provision” — that it is literally “pro” “vision”, to “see” (or perceive) ahead. Well, I’ve been pondering that thought for quite some time. Since that time, our nation and the world have changed dramatically, and our need for provision — literally to be able to see ahead — has greatly increased.

Whether this is actually the worst economic times since the Great Depression I’m not sure, but it is clear that these are tenuous times at best. It’s as if we all know that, as a society, we kind of have this coming. We’ve lived the high life, running up debt as individuals and as a nation, living off our ever-increasing equity in real estate and the stock market. Now, it’s time to pay up and there just isn’t enough to go around to even make the down payment!

So, as we have launched into this new year, with a new president and much uncertainty in the air, I have been focusing on understanding and properly perceiving this idea of provision. What is it? Why does the Bible say those who don’t “provide” for their families are worse than unbelievers? Does God really promise to provide? What resources has God pro-vided for us to pro-vide for our needs and the needs of those in our charge? Is God a trustworthy provider?

I’m still formulating my thoughts and am tentatively on the schedule to share over a couple of weeks as part of a series, “Finding God’s Provision In Challenging Times.” The discipline of actually preparing a message or two will force me to organize my thoughts and hopefully tie a few key insights together. For now, I’ll say that, once again, I’m totally blown away that this concept of “perceiving” is right there in the center of one of the most crucial theological concepts. For example, how did God reveal Himself in the defining moment of the life of the Father of Faith? As Jehovah Jireh, God the Provider. Or maybe Abraham encountered God the Perceiver… the One who had already provided (seen) the lamb even when the lamb was out of Abraham’s view.

The Eternal — who stands outside of time — is at the very core of his nature our Provider because He sees ahead. This understanding — of God the Perceiver/Provider — can free believers to live a life of worry-free trust and literally reach for the stars, knowing that Jehovah Jireh has already seen ahead for them. By perceiving provision we can also move beyond the theological tug o war between free will and predestination towards an understanding (perception) of God’s providence. Because “providence” simply means…. you guessed it…. to “see ahead.” In a very real way, the lamb was there all along! Stay tuned….

Perceiving Eternal Life

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2008–
In October, I continued this series on the Power of Percieiving with two messages shared at the Cheapeake Vineyard on this topic of Perceiving Eternal Life. Below you will find my original post on this topic from June, followed by an update ex post message.

ORIGINAL POST FROM JUNE 08:
For the past few weeks I have been developing what will be the next installment in this series on perceiving. Actually, I plan on picking up precisely where I left off in John 3 and Jesus’ fascinating discussion with Nicodemus, which reaches its apex with what we now know as the most commonly quoted verse in the entire Bible: “For God so loved the world…”

What is fascinating about this pasage and its popularity is that there is relatively little substantive discussion on the conclusion of that verse: “eternal life.” We tend to neatly summarize the Gospel with “going to heaven” when the real emphasis of John 3:16, John’s Gospel and Jesus’ teachings is something quite different. For the writer of John’s Gospel, eternal life was not some distant concept — it was here and now. I started to see this as I dove into this passage and the following sequence in which John unfolds what he learned from Jesus about eternal life. The next major event recorded by John involves a woman, a well and “living water” welling up to eternal life. The Jews of Jesus’ day surely would have connected the dots to the river of life that flowed from the throne in heaven. Then Jesus announces that He is the “bread of life” and the true manna that comes from heaven. What do we need to live? Water and bread. Jesus announces that He is the fulfillment of man’s most basic needs and He does so in a way that connects to the Jews’ fundamental understanding of things. Jesus is our supply of perpetual, living sustenance — of eternal life.

What is our perception of eternal life? If it is some distant, remote time or place, then we are entirely missing one of the most important truths of God’s Kingdom. Jesus never intended us to “believe” only for some distant time/place called eternal life. Look closely and you’ll see that Jesus was leading the disciples toward a different perception of life –eternal life in the here and now, sustained through a close and intimate relationship with Him.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 08:

It’s been about a month since I shared about “Perceiving Eternal Life” over the course of two Sundays at my home church, the Chesapeake Vineyard. As I spent time meditating and studying the concept of eternity and eternal life decided to break the teaching up into two parts: what exactly is “eternal life” and why is this such a radical concept? I started with the latter and tracked with John’s careful rendering of Jesus’ teaching on eternal life.

If Paul’s main theme is salvation by grace through faith, John’s clearly dominant lesson is eternal life for those who believe in Christ. In both John’s Gospel and the first letter, he concludes by stating precisely why he took up the pen.

• John 20:31--But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have [grasp, lay hold of] life in his name.

• 1 John 5:13–I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know [perceive] that you have [grasp, lay hold of] eternal life.

John decided to leave nothing to the imagination when it came to his purpose in writing – so that believers would perceive that they have eternal life. Yet again, it seems to be a topic the church tends to gloss over or over-simplify as a message that is discussed only in the context of salvation. But here we see John stating that this is his purpose in writing.

So it’s clearly an important topic, but why is it a radical concept? And what exactly is “eternal life”? Listen here!

Perceiving Eternal Life, Part One
Part One Notes (.pdf)

Perceiving Eternal Life, Part Two
Part Two Notes (.pdf)

Case study in Perceiving

Immediately after I made my presentation of “Perceiving the Gospel,” something rather interesting happened. As is customary at the Chesapeake Vineyard, one of the leaders of the church will come up and respond to what was just shared. In this instance, Joel Andre offered some “application” thoughts and then shared about some jolting news he had just received: his brother had just found out he had cancer… again.

As Joel asked us to join with him in praying for his brother, he took this opportunity to apply the lesson on perceiving. One week later, Joel shared that the doctor was shocked to discover that his brother was cancer free. I put together a short audio that combines Joel’s prayer from 4/20/07 and his report from 4/27/07.

Go here to listen.

There’s nothing secret or even new in the Power of Perceiving. However, I do believe that a profound truth about the nature of God, HIs kingdom, and how we interact in HIs kingdom can be uncovered in understanding what it means to “perceive.” There is a distinction between believing and knowing (perceiving). Jesus didn’t “believe” in the Father, He knew the Father. Jesus didn’t “beleive” for miracles, He simply did what he saw (perceived) HIs father doing. Believing in Jesus is the door into God’s kingdom. But once we’re in, “believing” doesn’t make the reality of the kingdom more “real.”

Just as NIcodemus approached Jesus looking for the key to unlock the secret of how Jesus did miracles, many Chrisitans have searched in vain for the faith secrets to unlock God’s working in their lives. As I shared in the lesson, Jesus really did show Nicodemus the key to unlocking the power of miracles, but it wasn’t the answer Nicodemus was looking for…

Noone has the power (dunamis) to see/perceive (eido)  the kingdom unless he is born again.

It’s not about doing miracles; it’s about seeing the kingdom in operation. And in order to really see (perceive) the kingdom, we must first be born again. We must be born into the kingdom. As I explain…

Nicodemus wanted to understand Jesus’ power to do miracles…
Jesus told him that it was really about having the power to see/perceive the kingdom

Again, Jesus didn’t “beleive” for miracles; He simply did what he saw (perceived) the Father doing. Joel’s prayer in response to my teaching and then the amazing report one week later was like a case study of the lesson. Go God!