DRUNK PEOPLE DO CRAZY THINGS!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
It is true, drunk people do crazy things. They will say the craziest things to anyone who will listen (even if they won’t listen). They will laugh out loud, oftentimes for no apparent reason, and without any sensitivity to their surroundings whatsoever. They will dance, fall on the ground, sway as they walk, and completely sacrifice their personal dignity. Why? Because they are drunk.
They are not concerned with what people think about them at the moment. They have lost all fear of man, not concerning themselves in the least with the aftermath of humiliation that is sure to follow their actions. They therefore express themselves freely. They will even attempt the dangerous, like driving a vehicle or jumping off cliffs into shallow water, crazy things that they would never even dream of doing if they were sober. Why? Because they are drunk. Drunk people do crazy things!
In Ephesians 5:18, the Apostle Paul gives this instruction to Christians: “Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (NIV).
This word “debauchery” means to be so influenced by the effects of alcohol that one loses all inhibition, so that they do things of negative and evil consequence that they would not do if they were sober. In other words, debauchery is doing crazy things that you are really ashamed of the next morning.
Being filled with the Spirit, on the other hand, causes one to do crazy things, but the difference is that those things are things that you are proud of the next morning. Interestingly, the phrase, “be filled”, is not a one time event. In the Greek, this is a present tense verb, which has a continual sense associated with the action. So, more accurately, Paul is instructing the Church to “be continually filled with the Spirit”; to drink everyday, the “new wine” of the Spirit. Why? Because drunk people do crazy things!
On the Day of Pentecost, in Acts chapter 2, the Church was filled with the Holy Spirit. In verse 13, the crowd made fun of them and said “they have had too much wine”. Peter’s response to this accusation is found in verse 15: “These men are not drunk as you suppose...”. Notice, he does not deny the fact that they are drunk, or at the least, acting drunk. He simply lets them know that they are not drunk in the way that they think that they are drunk. The source of their drunkenness is not due to the wine of the world, but rather the new wine of the Holy Spirit. He explains all of this in verse 17, as he outlines the fulfilled prophetic promise of Joel that God would pour out His Spirit on all people.
Notice that Peter got out of the box, crazy, as he found the courage to stand up to address the crowd of onlookers. This is the same Peter that denied the Lord three times! And now he has unabashed boldness to preach the Gospel to the same angry crowd that had earlier crucified Jesus. The only thing that can explain this uninhibited behavior is the fact that he was drunk. Drunk people do crazy things. And I’m sure he was very proud of his actions the next morning, especially when he realized that 3,000 people had been saved as a result of his boldness under the influence of the Spirit!
Jesus has commanded us to do crazy things like heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons; to preach the message of the Kingdom (Matt. 10:7,8). He has commanded us to be His witnesses in the whole earth as his ambassadors (Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20). He told Ananias, through a supernatural vision, to go to Saul’s house on Straight Street and lay hands on him to receive his sight, which was a crazy proposal given the fact that Saul was arresting Christians and giving approval for their executions (Acts 9).
I used to never pray for the sick. Not because I didn’t believe in healing. I taught on healing. I just didn’t believe that I had what it took to pray for people for them to be healed. I used the excuse that I just didn’t have the “gift”. Interestingly, after learning to let the Holy Spirit influence my mind, I began to live under the influence (LUI), I began to do things that I would ordinarily never try like praying for someone to be healed. Amazingly, people started getting healed. I started to drink and drive, and when I would get to my destination, I would find supernatural boldness to step out and take crazy amounts of risk to pray for the sick at supermarkets, airports, or at family gatherings. And guess what? People started getting healed.
I have found that most people have a hard time stepping out in risk in the Kingdom because they are too intimidated by what others will think. I want to suggest that you try getting absolutely drunk on the Spirit of God until you have no inhibitions left, and just see what kind of great “crazy” things God can do through your life. Remember, drunk people do crazy things!
Labels: teaching
posted by Fragrant Burning @ 8:31 PM,
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Ezekiel 36:22-24
Monday, May 29, 2006
Sara, Heather and I today decided to study a passage of scripture together. My suggestion of this came from the vision the other night and how I saw small groups of people fellowshipping together, eating the bread, oil and wine. I instinctively new that the bread they were eating was of course the word and that this was releasing some things. So I suggested that we feast on the word a little. To study a passage alone and ask the Holy Spirit to instruct us on it and then to share what we had learned. It turned out to be an amazing treat. Yummy good!
Ezekiel 36:22-24
Why? For His name sake - to show He is holy, to reestablish his sanctity - that He is THE God. Restore His name.
Not for our name sake - that is, not for any merit in me or anything I have done; on the contrary, on my part, there is every reason for God to call down continued severity
Isaiah 5:16
16But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment,
And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
Ezekiel 20:41
41"As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.
Ezekiel 38:23
23"I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD."'
Why does He need to do this? Because his name was profaned. Profaned = polluted, violate the honor, treat as common, to wound.
The Israelites gave a handle of reproach to the heathen against God, who would naturally say, These who take usury, oppress, commit adultery, etc, and who, in such an abject plight, are "gone forth" as exiles "out of His land," are specimens of what Jehovah can or will effect, for His people, and show what kind of a God this so-called holy, omnipotent, covenant-keeping God must be! Our lives have not be set apart - consecrated - there is no difference - so there must be no difference in our "god".
To what end? That the nations will know He is God and come to him.
How? He will show himself hallowed - holy through us.
hallowed = holy, sanctified, separate, consecrated - to set apart, prepared, dedicated, to be observed as holy.
He will gather us from out of the nations. Nations=heathen
HE WILL DO IT - He will show himself holy - through us - in us
Ps 126
1When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
the LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad.
Visioning
I saw a glorious city on a hill - God said [this was my intentions that the nations will come to the light on my holy hill - my people who had my character - this would draw the nations to me and they would call me Lord. But my name has been polluted.
My image has been defiled - the nations can no longer see my true character. I am going to put forth a revelation of my character by instilling it into my people. Holiness. That blessing would be poured out on you and that blessing, out of your overflow would flow onto them and then the nations would say - the Lord has done great things for us - we are glad. And they would acknowledge me as the LORD. ]
HEATHER
House of Israel - who is it? Grafting - Israel is brought to a place of unbelief so that the gentiles could be grafted in. Israel is us.
God's motivation - for His names sake - his own sake - for his advantage. His identity has been communicated wrongly - it is a false witness of who God is.
Profane - to pollute, to dissolve/destruction - removal of it's intended character, harlotry - adultery with idols
Declaration - this is not for you - I will use you - who represent me on this earth - to restore my character to the nations
What does this mean for us now - we are encroaching on this time - encroaching = to entering into the
Who is the audience - the nations=heathen - He will create a billboard with people as the paint - to declare is character and holiness to the nations
What does it mean to gather?
What will he do? Take us out of the nations, gathering, bring back
SARA
Turns back the distortion that the enemy has made
Tangible holiness
God has a desire to be known - his true character
Sara asks God, What's in your name? - hidden treasure, divine decree, power, fulfillment to decrees, keys
Many have used my name without understanding it
There is a spiritual principles in names - if you study the principle - go deep - there is power
If the names match on earth - and in heaven and it releases power
Hiding blue prints /battle plans of his kingdom in worship, music, art, things that we do spiritually
Luke 4:6
Sara's vision about me:
Akiel (the name God called me by) Sara said that God revealed part of the meaning - servant of the sword - that is the first layer - understanding my layers (like an Adobe file)
I just see Kristy walking around on a scavenger hunt talking with angels
Names of places are significant - there is power in heaven that can be released on earth
There is something missing but must be found in the scripture - it will unlock something
This reminded me of Nydia and how God had instructed her to go and rename all the streets in Boston.
Labels: dreams/visions, teaching
posted by Fragrant Burning @ 11:40 AM,
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One sound in unity
Thursday, May 18, 2006
We are called to be a people leaning against Jesus with His heart pounding in our ears. Intimacy is the convergence of two hearts, His and ours, coming into rhythm together, so that there is only one sound. Complete union with Christ.
Labels: poetry, prophetic art, teaching
posted by Fragrant Burning @ 12:04 PM,
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Symphony of praise
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Tonight we briefly talked about how we enter into God's chamber. We light on praise and thanksgiving. That God inhabits our praise. So we desire to praise - to give thanks. How shall we do this? Tonight we did it this way. 3 pieces of blank paper - become a collective praise offering. Written and drawn - words of praise. Shared. Responded and added to. Line upon line- it creates a symphony of praise. What fun we had - in silence and yet loud. I have been blessed with 2 amazing women to walk this journey out. Thank you Lord.
Labels: about me, portfolio, teaching
posted by Fragrant Burning @ 12:07 PM,
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