I recently got a kick in pants by friend I was talking to on the phone. She was mentioning how when she has prayed for other folks for physical needs those prayers were answered, and yet when she prays for herself, nothing happens. She then made a statement that bonked me on the head: I don’t have a person to pray for me.

That ignited a bunch of dormant thoughts in my head. It began with story of the woman who reached out to touch the hem of Jesus garment to be healed, followed by the story of the centurion who sought Jesus for the healing of his servant, onward to Peter being summoned by the disciples in Joppa to pray for their friend Tabitha who had recently passed away. In each of these and other situations found in the New Testament I suddenly saw something powerful in relationships that I hadn’t noticed before. It was the demonstration of how the faith in individuals was released once they were able to make contact with someone they knew who lived in the Spirit.

It seems that Father has intentionally fashioned that his life and the power of his life is truly released through the relationships we have with others. It’s a certain fact that we have the fullness of Christ within us, but what I didn’t always see was that it’s through relationships that his life is released to others. It’s not in a generic, broad sense, but in the personal specific sense that can only happen in the unique relationships we have with others.

In the IC I was always made to think that you have to get prayed for by the visiting minister to somehow receive their anointing. What’s funny is that I probably knew the corner store clerk better than I knew these guys. When Paul talked about imparting some spiritual gift, he was writing to folks that he knew personally. He further added: ‘that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.’ I’ve recently started making a point to do that with folks I have relationships with.

bob humphrey

Posted: September 5th, 2008 under General.
Comments: none

Since the Lakeland fiasco there have been many articles by prominent leaders pinpointing numerous errors made by the leaders involved.
But I wonder if any of them has considered the possibility that what took place in Lakeland was never a move of God in the first place.

It seems unlikely that Father would choose a man without godly character to be the catalyst for such a “move.” And why would God want his people looking to any man to receive what only he himself can give?

People go running here and there where God is said to be moving because they’re hungry for bread they can’t find in religion. Yet the Bread of life is living in them, longing for his children to eat of him who is already broken for them, if only they expected from him rather than mere man.

Unfortunately, the person designated as “apostolic oversight” for the Lakeland deal has announced that “phase 1” along with “figurehead 1” is over and “phase 2” with the “new figurehead” has begun. Unbelievable.

So I wrote an email to one of the overseer’s close advisors expressing my concern regarding “figureheads” and the dragging on of something that God is not in. Of course I wasn’t expecting full agreement. However, after visiting the advisor’s website to obtain his email address, I wasn’t very hopeful of any serious consideration. His name, emblazoned in light came floating onto the web page from somewhere in the heavens.

As long as man is exalted there will be falling stars and hungry people.

David F

Posted: September 1st, 2008 under General.
Comments: 2

Here’s a response to a guy who wrote about leaders being puffed up about their positions quoting the Mathew 23:8-11 verse.

8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

This post made me cry. How dare you.

Point is, you’re really judgmental. The real leaders are the servants? Who’s going to be on the church stage? Why don’t you put the volunteer custodian up there, then? See how many people come to THAT church!

I guess that justifies it.

bob humphrey

Posted: August 29th, 2008 under General.
Comments: 4

Many Christians are shocked and saddened by the collapse of Todd Bentley and the Lakeland “revival.” Saddened we should be. Whenever God is misrepresented by those purported to be his servants, and respected leaders are clueless as to the character of those they endorse, any true follower of Christ is saddened and sickened. When so many people are tricked by showmanship and hype and tag exaggerated claims of signs and wonders as revival, it is reason to be alarmed and grieved. But we shouldn’t be surprised if we compare the teaching and examples set forth in scripture to the doctrine and antics promoted by those claiming a special anointing.

Paul instructed us to know those who labor among us. Yet as we’ve witnessed the “fall” of one celebrity leader after another, it’s clear that those who surround them do not know them. Developing authentic relationships is slow, difficult and messy, but no ministry or minister can be trusted that has bypassed that process. Building a “ministry” on charisma and gifting is much quicker and easier. Still, nothing built on sand can possibly remain. Likewise, it’s far more appealing to the flesh to follow signs and wonders than it is to follow the scriptures. But chasing after signs will never lead anyone to the knowledge of Christ.

Six years ago we began a relationship with three humble servants in Mexico who were blackmailed by the “churches” in the area because they were feeding the hungry without the “covering” of a local IC. They’ve had pastors lie about them and “missionaries” steel from them. For the past six years Nancy has spent many months with Leti, Marta and Enrique, sharing the scriptures with them and laughing and crying with them as they worked through relationship challenges, financial challenges and health problems.

Less than two years ago they took 7 severely abused children from two different families ages 1 -5 into their home. The children from one home were sexually abused to the extent of causing internal injuries. The children from the other home had skull fractures and kidney damage from being beaten, along with various other serious injuries. The doctors said that the most critically damaged would never walk or talk.

So when these precious little ones greeted Nancy and me at the airport in Guadalajara last Sunday, I was amazed at what God had done. During this past week in Mexico we had the joy of playing rowdy games with seven bright, vibrant children who ran, jumped and chattered with the best of them. Crooked legs were straight, tongues that had been dumb were singing praises to God, broken hearts were mended and minds were healed.

The Guadalajara airport will not be jammed with people wanting to experience the healed orphans anointing. They will not be seeking out the feeding station made with materials dragged from the dump by Leti and Marta and two old men who took pity on them. There are no stars connected with that hidden work birthed out of broken lives. But Father knows them very well and he is receiving the glory that belongs only to him.

David F

Posted: August 25th, 2008 under General.
Comments: 1

I’ve been dazzled by the Olympics this year. Having a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) has allowed me the chance to consume more events in less time. I call that watching TV in the Olympic spirit. I set a new record of going through 5 hours of events in less than 2 hours! I wonder if they’ll do one of those cool VISA commercials on me?

One of the striking things has been the margin of victory, or loss depending which side of the clock you’re on. 1 hundredth of a second!! Can you imagine watching the years of training, hope, and expectations evaporate in 1 hundredth of a second?! It takes me longer to punch the ! key.

We recently did a podcast with Jim Robbins about his book reclaiming your good heart. The striking part of that conversation for me was the ongoing frustration believers have in institutional Christianity with being good enough for God, because they’re taught that their heart is still desperately wicked. They seem to have misplaced the fact that Ezekiel’s prophesy came true about Father giving us a new heart through the victory of Christ at the cross. How many earnest, believing, sincere folks live a life thinking they’ve missed ‘God’s best’ by a 1 hundredth of a second, when all along they were already were ‘his best’?

bob humphrey

Posted: August 21st, 2008 under General.
Comments: none

The weekend before last I was at family camp with some great folks in the Portland, Oregon area. They have abandoned the institutional approach to church life and are living an awesome example of loving Father, bearing one another’s burdens and reaching out to those who don’t yet know him. And like most everyone who is in transition, they are grappling with their own fears and uncertainties and the raised eyebrows or outright rejection of those who cling to organized religion as though it were foundational to their faith.

One of the men in the group, Bruce, brought an inflatable raft, 8 inflatable kayaks and as many wet suits, life jackets and helmets. He was the only experienced white water rafter among us, and knew the river some of us were going to challenge. Since I had kayaked in a hard shell on a lake once and went rafting once as well, I was elected to man a kayak on the first run and team with another guy to front guide the raft on the second run. Some of the young people we were taking with us admitted they were “scared”, but they faced the challenge with remarkable courage and determination. My young kayak partner and I went backwards through one rapid, and later when about to encounter the first category 4 while on the raft I was a bit nervous, but everyone did great and we all had a blast. The excited chatter and radiant faces of the triumphant youth told the story well.

It occurred to me that most of you reading this are on a journey similar to our river trip. Except that we only spent less than four hours on the river but your journey is lasting a long, long time. You face obstacles that can be quite imposing and are altogether unfamiliar to you. The rapids are so rough at times that you’re almost to certain you’re going under, but you keep right on riding the waves. And then there are times of placid water when you get to stop rowing and simply relax as you soak in the indescribable beauty of Father’s world before the current takes you toward another challenge. But always Father brings you through and after awhile the journey will actually become enjoyable. And a lot more stimulating than sitting in a pew.

The upshot of it all is that we begin to really know the Father’s love and learn to trust him to take us through the rough spots that invariably come. And this confidence that comes no other way equips us to guide others through their own white water.

David F

Posted: August 17th, 2008 under General.
Comments: none

Reading around various Christian blogs lately I started feeling guilty. It seems that it’s quite normal for Christians to be filled with angst about their lives and about God. What’s funny is they turn to the Bible to find their answers and to find their comfort, or to find some sort of rationale to make sense of it all. What I find interesting is that they don’t turn to God himself or to the Holy Spirit. If you were having complications with an illness after visiting a doctor what would you rather do consult a medical journal or talk to the doctor himself?

It’s as though having a relationship with God, actually having a vital living relationship with Father is somehow wrong. To be able to actually engage him on a regular basis discussing with him all of the situations good bad or otherwise, I guess is the exception to the rule. Funny thing, I can remember living in that constant sense of tension between being a Christian and living in the world. Am I wrong for having that tension gone? I almost feel guilty that I actually have peace with God, and that I know he loves me unconditionally.

bob humphrey

Posted: August 13th, 2008 under General.
Comments: none

I was recently with a group of believers from a rather conservative denomination. These people were as nice as can be, and I enjoyed their company and fellowship. While listening to the visiting minister speak about new insights that he had discovered, I was a little dumbfounded that they were areas of revelation I had learned about years ago. Now I’m not mentioning this to pat myself on the back about my advanced enlightenment, on the contrary, the Holy Spirit was showing me a unique aspect of grace.

Having been raised myself in this denomination I knew firsthand that these believers had for years and years restricted themselves to the empty doctrines of men carved out of the edifices of scripture with hardly any regard for the Holy Spirit, much less any sense of personal relationship with Father. And yet here they were all excited about these new revelations. I was reminded of the story of Lazarus. Dead and all wrapped up in the traditional burial dressings of the day. Completely helpless surrounded by unbelieving people, and yet the depth of Jesus’ compassion for him reached past all those barriers to bring him back to life. That’s what the Holy Spirit was showing me. In spite of these folks wrapping themselves up in lifeless doctrine, Father still met them where they were at to bring them just a bit closer to Himself.

bob humphrey

Posted: August 7th, 2008 under General.
Comments: none

The other day I was lying in bed at 4 a.m. seething with frustration. Several items that needed doing were screaming for attention. I was going through a phase of insomnia and nothing seemed to be coming together at the moment. I was grieved by the disposition of some people dear to me. But it was my reaction to these familiar challenges that got me the most frustrated. “What’s wrong with me?” I cried out to Father. “How am I so easily troubled by these common trials? And I’m supposed to be helping others to sort out life? Who am I??!!”

I guess I was having a Gideon type identity crisis. You probably remember that the Angel of the Lord found him hiding from the enemy while threshing wheat in a winepress and proceeded to call him a mighty warrior. Gideon was sure that this was a case of mistaken identity, so he humbly informed the Messenger that he was the most insignificant member of his family, part of the weakest clan in Manasseh. The Angel of the Lord said, “So what? The Lord is with you.” (my paraphrase)

And today, God is more than with us. He’s in us. We’re in him. In him we live and move and have our being. We’re more than conquerors through him. We’re raised with him and seated in heavenly places in him. We’re royal priests commissioned by and walking in the authority of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (A bit different than being seated in a “church” pew wishing we were as spiritual as the man on the platform who always seems to know exactly who he is and certainly must handle his problems better than we do. Not.)

So why do I sometimes act as though Christ never rose from the dead? Because I get my eyes on ME, MY failure, MY helplessness to change anything, etc., etc. And then it’s as though I forget that Jesus is no longer the suffering servant who entered earth as a helpless baby and died a criminal’s death. He was that and did that to make a way to the Father for us. If not for the cross we would be nothing and have nothing. But now he has conquered death and sin and no one can stand against him. His eyes are like flames of fire, a two edged sword comes out of his mouth, and his feet crush the enemy.

And John said, “As he is, so are we in this world.”

David F

Posted: August 3rd, 2008 under General.
Comments: none

If God is omnipotent, why did Jesus have to suffer and die for us? This question was asked by a guy on you tube.

There’s a bunch of these ‘questions for Christians’ on youtube, but this one stood out to me, not because of the question, but because of the lack of answers the Christians provided. Here’s the most recent one:

Read the bible, go to your local church and ask your preacher, dont rely on youtube for a logical answer.

Duh, why didn’t I think of that?

As I thought about it, I realized that you can’t answer that question properly, inside the IC context. You have to view it from the point of relationship. It’s about what Father established with Adam in the garden, fellowship. If God simply rebooted the earth and our consciousness, what’s the point? Oh yeah, God’s going to fool himself. ‘No, really Holy Spirit, they’re as good as new!’ Relationship is a dangerous reality that Father has allowed us to be a part of. It cost him his only begotten son.

bob humphrey

Posted: July 29th, 2008 under General.
Comments: none