Discernment 101

A common pitfall for people who are learning to hear God’s voice is not remembering that the enemy of their souls also has a voice. That voice can be extremely persuasive, appealing, and even appear to be spiritual or godly. It is critical for our own well-being that we learn the difference. The ability to tell the difference between the source of the voices is called discernment. Discernment is one of the most lacking elements of the Church today. The enemy loves it, because when we don’t have discernment, he can bring destructive voices and lies into our lives—and we voluntarily accept what we hear because we think it is actually God speaking to us. God’s truth sets us free, and lies keep us in bondage. If a Christian never learns to operate in discernment, they will never experience all of God’s freedom that is available, and they will certainly remain in bondage in every area where they continue to follow other voices.

Part of the reason that many fall into this pit is that they don’t consciously think about the reality that they have an enemy. I’ll never forget one of my university textbooks, written by a knowledgeable Christian scholar, which openly said, “Demons aren’t found in America. They are only found in places like Africa.” I could hardly believe what I was reading! Sadly, many well-meaning Christians think this way, as if there isn’t an enemy. But listen to what Peter wrote about this matter in the Bible: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV). Humanity has a very real enemy, an enemy that hates every person because they are made in God’s image. This scripture says that he is not dormant or passive. Our enemy is not just an idea. And he is looking for someone to devour. I’ve often heard people joke about this passage and say, “Yeah, but you don’t have to worry, because he’s just a toothless lion.” That is foolishness. Peter says that we need to be alert and sober-minded, resisting him and standing firm against him because he is a very real threat. And you’ll notice another description of our enemy here: he is like a roaring lion—not a quiet one, but a vocal one. Part of how he brings destruction to the lives of believers is through the sound of his voice.

I think it would be obvious to anyone that listening to a demonic voice would be a bad idea. But here’s the thing: most of us don’t understand that when he speaks, it’s not obvious. Satan has mastered the ability of speaking to us in ways that sound, look, and feel just like God. Without discernment, many Christians fall for his deception every time. “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). If the forces of hell were obvious in their deception, it would be easy for anyone to resist the lies. But demonic forces love to be camouflaged and undetected. It’s a tactic of warfare that we see even in human militaries. If your enemy can keep you from knowing they are there, they have the advantage. And if camouflage doesn’t work, disguises do. Pretending to be on your side is a proven way to breach the defenses and make you let your guard down. How did Satan speak to Jesus? Was it with outright lies? No, he used the scriptures and tried to use them to tempt Jesus. (See Matthew 4 and Luke 4). As spiritual and Godly as any of those quoted (and perhaps misquoted) scriptures were, they were not the leading of the Father. Jesus was able to tell the difference, and He was victorious over the voice of the enemy. And that is the kind of discernment that you and I desperately need for our own lives.

One of the things I’ve learned about discernment is this: discernment is like a muscle. You can live a lifestyle that causes your discernment to grow, or you can ignore its importance and find that your discernment becomes weaker and weaker over time. For sure, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit relates to discernment, the discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10). But I think it’s very important for us as believers to realize that, even if God has given you a gift like that one, He expects you to take what He’s given you and grow it, not just leave it the same. (That’s the major point of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.) My point is this: discernment isn’t something that God just gives you and then you’re set for life. Rather, discernment is something we need to cultivate and grow in our lives.

Hebrews 5 expresses it this way: “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (vv. 11-14, NASB1995). Notice that last line. The mature actually train their senses to discern! And how does that training occur? It occurs through constant use. They are aware that God has good things to speak and that their enemy has evil things to speak, and they are constantly pressing in to tell the difference. You cannot discern if you never know you need to. And you will not discern unless you try to discern.

One of the most important tools in learning to discern is by reading and meditating on the scriptures! “Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17). “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

The people who grow in discernment that fastest, the ones who are the sharpest in their abilities to discern, are those don’t try to do it alone. You will grow so much faster if you spend time with those already walk in a high level of discernment. The road out of infancy is to imitate those who are mature and learn from them. That’s why God gives babies to parents. And that’s why God has designed spiritual family for those who have been born again. “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:5-6, NIV). The Father heart of God has caused Him, in His wisdom, to place us in families so that we can grow! He does this with our natural families and with spiritual families. He does not want anyone to be left as an orphan. (Satan, on the other hand, loves the state of the orphan, as they are defenseless against his attacks.) If you want to have strong, sharp discernment, it is imperative that you commit to learning from those who already have it. If you have a spiritual family, stay in the house! Don’t choose to be alone.

Photo is from: https://www.maxwaugh.com/2019/04/29/zebra-foal-escapes-lions/

Over the years, I’ve been fascinated by wildlife, and I’ve studied their behaviors. There generally are two categories of animals: prey and predator. What was it that Peter compared our enemy to? He compared the devil to a lion, an apex predator. Lions and other predators often have two things in mind: they kill prey animals to eat, and sometimes they kill prey merely for sport. There are countless videos of predators doing just that. The problem for lions is that it is very difficult for them to sneak in and make a kill when their prey is in a herd. In a herd, there are simply too many eyeballs watching out for danger. The herd’s level of discernment is maximized when they are together. So what does the lion do? The lion’s tactic is simple and successfully repeated over and over again: isolate one animal away from the herd. If a lion can isolate an animal from the group, it is a done deal. The lion is stronger and faster, and it will easily overcome the prey that is by itself.

Lions are usually successful in isolating one animal from the herd by seeking out the young or the injured. When Peter said that we need to be alert and sober-minded, it is because of these very real spiritual parallels that we can learn from God’s creation. The enemy of our souls often goes after the young—the infants that Hebrews 5 says are lacking in discernment. And he also goes after the injured, which represents those who feel that they have been hurt by the Church or who have become offended. The injured ones often lose their ability to discern the impending danger because they are focused on their own wounds! These two types of people are easily susceptible to attacks from the enemy because he can so easily separate them from the group. This is the reality for lions and sheep, wolves and elk, killer whales and seals, and satan and Christians. The tactic and the heart-wrenching results are the same.

As someone who has been in pursuit of discernment for many years, let me give you a tip. If you think that God is telling you to leave your church, to stop fellowshipping with your spiritual family, or to pull away from spiritual leaders in your life, immediately question what you heard. Be alert and sober-minded. No matter how spiritual it may have seemed when you heard it, understand that the tactic of the enemy is always to isolate you! This is especially true if you are still a young believer (i.e. not a leader yourself) and know that you have a lot to learn about the Lord. And this is especially true if you recently have experienced pain, rejection, disappointment, or disillusionment. In these cases, your ability to discern is not as high as it needs to be. You were designed to be with the herd, with your family, where there are many sets of eyes watching out for what can cause harm and where to find food, water, and shelter.

If you hear a voice or feel a leading to disassociate with your church family, your pastors and leaders, or those who have been instrumental in helping you grow in God, you should immediately put your guard up. It doesn’t matter how spiritual the word, vision, or experience seemed, you must be sure that you are exercising discernment and not being fooled by the enemy. Just like Jesus, we need to be extra on-guard and understand that the enemy knows how to mislead us, even using scripture at times. Paul said, “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” (2 Corinthians 10:5). When you think you’re hearing a word or feeling a leading, you’ve got to take that thought captive and find out if it really is from God and if it really is in line with obeying the words of Jesus! No “prophetic word” you receive should ever cause you to disobey the scriptures. “Prophetic” words are important, but they are susceptible to us hearing incorrectly or from the wrong source. Scripture, the very sword of the Spirit, is clear and helps us cut through the confusion quickly so that we can tell what is of the Lord and what is not.

Here are some scriptures that cause me to immediately toss out “prophetic” words about walking away from my spiritual family or leaving my church:

• “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

• “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you! And the head cannot say to the feet, I don’t need you!’… God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body…Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:21-27).

• “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4-5). “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall” (Luke 11:17). “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:17).

• “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith….Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you” (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

• “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace…. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” Ephesians 4:2-3, 14-15).

I find it impossible to obey these scriptures when I’m on my own. If I cannot obey these scriptures thoroughly when I follow a word that I think is from God, that is a tell-tale sign that it never was a word from God. Sure, it probably was spiritual, but it was not the Holy Spirit speaking. It was from a different Spirit. And once I realize that these voices are trying to isolate me so that they can destroy and devour me, I run to my brothers and sisters in Christ as fast as I can.

Now, to be clear, I do believe there are rare occasions that God may lead a person to a new place. Some of the clues that this truly is from Him are the following:

• I will not be isolated or alone where I’m susceptible to attacks from the enemy or temptations.

• The leaders who watch over my soul and my church family who know my weaknesses and blind spots can confirm that I’m being led by the Lord, and they are sending me with their blessing.

• I’m not just “leaving” because of the bad. I’m going toward a group of people and a calling that God has shown me are part of His plan to help me grow and become mature in the Lord.

• I’m able to fully obey the commands in scripture about fellowship, unity, submission, and love.

• I’m making the transition for the purpose of keeping the Kingdom of God and righteousness as the first and highest priorities of my life, not for inferior reasons such as my career, romance, education, or entertainment.

• I’m spiritually mature enough to make this decision.

• I’m not making the decision following pain, rejection, disappointment, or disillusionment with my church or people who are part of it.

Remember how we were talking about the lion trying to attack prey? Here’s something fascinating. When lions try to attack an animal in the midst of a herd, the mature members of the herd have been known to band together and attack the lion. The lion doesn’t get to eat, and sometimes it is the lion that dies! When the young, weak, or injured animals remain in the herd, the strength of the other in the herd is there to protect them. This is what God intends for us! We have the benefit of the discernment and strength of our spiritual family added onto our own lives—and at some point, we get to to supply strength and discernment to others. The result is life for those who are in the herd. The following video is one that I pray strengthens you in your walk with the Lord, your understanding of spiritual warfare, and your spiritual discernment.

There is so much more that can be said about discernment, and I’ve only scratched the surface with a few examples. But these are important truths to understand, and I pray they are helpful in your own growth into maturity as a disciple of Jesus.

Perhaps the things I’ve written here are already in your understanding. Maybe you are very aware that you have an enemy. Maybe you are aware that of the importance of knowing the difference between the enemy’s voice and God’s voice. And maybe you are not tempted at all to isolate yourself from the heard. But you know what? You probably are going to meet someone in the future who doesn’t know any of these things. God may use you to help rescue them from their own lack of discernment and the destruction that could await them. You may even know someone right now who is in this situation, unaware that they are right where Satan wants them. I challenge you to learn, internalize, and own these principles of discernment so that you can teach and share them with others. And perhaps, you may find it useful to even share this post with others. It could make all the difference for their lives. Discernment is truly an a matter of life and death.

—

John Gabriel Arends

On the Bench

Worship singers and musicians, if you are not OK to be put on the bench, you are probably involved with worship for the wrong reasons. What do I mean by “on the bench”? In the world of sports, teams often have their best players out playing the game, while there are other players that are sitting on the sidelines—on the bench—waiting for a chance to play. Players on the bench may be there because they are not perceived by their coaches to be as talented or experienced as others playing the game. They may also be on the bench because they have not been playing by the rules or because they’ve gotten injured and need to rest up. And sometimes, a coach will save a highly qualified player and wait to send them in to play until the very end or at a very critical time when the opposing team least expects it. Players on the field or on the court are often celebrated, and the ones on the bench are often not remembered at all. When it’s your passion to play, it can be very difficult to be on the bench, because it feels like you are doing nothing.

There can be very similar scenarios in ministry—including worship ministry. For many different reasons, whether it is because of the decision of our leaders, because more talented people have arrived, or because of personal mistakes or character issues, we can find ourselves “on the bench.” We are not getting to play, to sing, to be in the center of things like we hoped. Maybe we used to, but now others seem to have favor, opportunities, and visibility. We seem to be forgotten, hidden, and unseen. And it can feel so hard because this is our passion and what we feel called to do! But I believe that the hand of God is often behind all of this. Isaiah spoke of this experience: “Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.” He understood the great significance of being called, but then went on to say, “He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver” (Isaiah 49:2-3, NIV, emphasis added). Isaiah was a weapon that God intended to use against the enemy, like a sword or an arrow, but God was choosing to hide, polish, and conceal him for the timebeing—saved for a later time. Those who are called by God often find themselves in a place where they just feel hidden, concealed, or, for lack of better terms, “on the bench.”

For young leaders, especially musicians and singers on worship teams, it is important that we are just as okay being off of the stage and worshiping alongside our brothers and sisters, as we are to be up on a platform. Worship ministry is holy unto the Lord. Worship is not about having an outlet for our own talents or creative expressions. It is not about getting recognition for ourselves, but rather about calling everyone to recognize the lordship of Jesus Christ. It is a mistake to think that we are “called to worship ministry” if we forget that, first and foremost, we are called to the Lord and to be His servants—ready to serve anywhere and any way that pleases Him, giving our lives away to serve His Church. Nobody owes you an opportunity. God, your leaders, and your church don’t exist so that you can have a creative outlet to use your gifts. We don’t deserve to be in worship ministry, or to have influence. We deserve hell. And by the grace of God, He has brought us into his kingdom. That always needs to be enough for us. I would encourage you to take note of the many times the Bible talks about being “called.” If you do, you will find that most of the time, the call is (1) an invitation to follow Jesus, (2) related to our hope of eternal life, and (3) an admonishment to be holy and separate from the world’s sinfulness. Our calling has everything to do with Jesus, a pure life, and eternal life with Him, and it has far less to do with having influence in ministry. If we need to be on a worship team or in visible ministry, there is some other motive other than worship in our hearts. Worship is fundamentally about bringing the Bride to a place of greater love and connection with her Bridegroom. If we want a piece of the Bride’s love for ourselves, something is very off, and we will come face-to-face with a jealous God. Worship ministers have the glorious calling to be friends of the Bridegroom (John 3:29-30), not thieves of the Bride for their own purposes. He must become greater, and we must become less.

As a pastor, when I choose people to be part of worship ministry in our church, I first and foremost look at how willing they are to serve in other areas, and I look at how they worship when they are offstage. If someone is not willing to serve in children’s ministry or by cleaning toilets, they have no business thinking that they should be a leader. And if they are not engaged in worship unless they have a microphone or instrument in their hands, they are just posers. God is seeking true worshipers, not just singers, musicians, or talent. So I’m looking for those who worship with equal passion when people are watching as they do when they think no one is watching.

Leadership and influence in the Kingdom of God is for those who will become a servant of all. If you are on the bench right now, whether that is because your pastoral leaders put you there or because God has you there, embrace the season. Love God with all your heart and love the people around you. If you think that you will be happier when you are in the limelight, you are deceiving yourself. Being on stage and having people see you will never fill the deepest desires in your heart. Increased leadership opportunities also come with warfare, opposition, sacrifice, responsibility, and testing. Before God trusts you with those things, He will develop and test your character on the sidelines. 

It is important that you are just as excited when someone else gets chosen to be on stage as you would be if it was yourself. Why? Because the Bride is still coming closer to Jesus, and that’s why we are in this ministry at all. This is not a competition or a popularity contest. You already have the affection of the most important Person in the universe on your life. You don’t need to seek anything else. “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psalm 84:10, NIV). May we always remember that the best place to be is in the presence of God, and may we always be grateful and content if we are servants—even doorkeepers—in His house. It is a great and wonderful privilege.

If you truly believe that you are called to be a person of greater influence, always remember that this is the way of the kingdom: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:23) The greatest heroes of the Bible, who had massive leadership callings, were developed and tested for years before they ever walked in what they originally felt called to—people like Joseph, David, Moses, and the Apostle Paul. Anybody who met them in the middle of their process would have called them losers, not leaders. We need to know these stories so that we understand God’s process in our own lives. If God has called you to large levels of influence, He will first see what you do with a very small level of influence. What you do with what He has entrusted to you already reveals your character. And your character is going to determine what you would do if you were ever entrusted with more. The greater the level of influence and impact on others God would trust you to have, the greater the preparation. There is very often a season of hiddenness when God has called you to great visibility, and it can be easy to think that God has forgotten you there (Isaiah 49). But quite the opposite is true. He is preparing you and saving you for whatever time and purpose pleases Him the most. His wisdom on when and how to release us is always higher than ours (Isaiah 55).

If you are on the bench, here are some practical things that you can be doing right now:

• Serve with all your might in whatever area there is need. Go to your leaders and find out where they need help. Come early, and stay late. At my home church, we have over 70 different areas that require volunteers for a Sunday morning service. How many areas can you plug into? Let’s be honest, being part of a music ministry is one of the most pleasurable types of service there is! Serve in the areas that are not attractive or fun. And when you serve, don’t do it with the ulterior motive of being promoted to a higher position. Do it because the Lord is worthy of being served. Serve because you love Him and you love His people.

• Pray for those who are currently in visible positions of leadership to be able to do so with great anointing and pure hearts. Support them, celebrate them, and honor them, so that a root of bitterness does not grow up in your heart and disqualify you and defile many. 

• Find ways that you can use your gifting to serve groups of people that may not have anybody leading them in worship. Rather than trying to squeeze into a position that already has plenty of people to fill it, look for where nothing is happening yet. Is there a need for someone to do worship with children? Is there a home group that doesn’t have someone to lead them in worship? Are there members of your church who are homebound and unable to come to a church gathering because of a physical condition or because they are elderly? Are there prayer groups or outreaches that don’t have worship? If you’re truly called to worship, you are the answer, and you can make the difference. Also, be willing to serve in other areas that relate to worship. You may be a bass player or a vocalist that is not currently getting to be on the platform—but maybe there is a need for someone to help run the lyrics. If your heart is for worship, you’re happy to jump in to any opportunity to help facilitate worship.

• Practice your instrument and your singing, sharpen your skills, and prepare for when the opportunities will arise. Take lessons or enroll in a course to get better. God deserves the best! Practice singing the Scriptures spontaneously. Write songs diligently. Many people wait for someone to give them an opportunity and then they start practicing. God deserves better than that, and His people deserve better than that. Psalms is very clear that we are to play skillfully before the Lord. Don’t be waiting around for someone to give you a chance. Be getting ready for when God will need you to step up.

• Keep growing spiritually, and be part of a church family. It is vital that you read and are growing in the Scriptures. It is vital that you are connected consistently with a group of people who love you and can challenge you—and yes, rebuke you—when you need it. It is vital that you are under the covering of leadership who can watch over your soul’s condition. Don’t float around from church to church or event to event, hoping to find a gig that you can be part of. When you find out who your people are and find out who your family is, and then you will end up living in the destiny that God has for you.

• If you’re on the bench because of personal character issues, sin, or mistakes you’ve made, don’t despise the discipline of God or leaders in your life. And in this season, press into it rather than running from it. Don’t try to go through this so you can get back into your position quickly. Instead, focus on your true calling, which is to Jesus, to purity, and to the things of eternity. He will open doors for you when it’s the right time, if it’s ever the right time. You are called to Him first, not ministry or music. You don’t want music or ministry without Him. It will always leave you empty.

I hope these words encourage you and bring clarity to your situation if you are on the bench. If you haven’t been on the bench yet, you probably will be at some point in the future, and maybe these words will help you then. If you are on bench, you are not alone. You are in the company of some of the greatest heroes of the faith that have ever lived.

Why We Chose the Buffalo

I recently released a new song called “DRY BONES.” I wrote the song in about 25 minutes before leading worship in a tiny little town in Montana with a population of 642 people. It was one of those places that makes you think, "Nothing big will ever happen here—after all, it never has before." But God spoke to my heart directly with the familiar words of Ezekiel 37, "Can these dry bones live?" I knew the story of Ezekiel 37 where God raised up an entire living, breathing army from a valley full of dry bones. And I knew God was showing me that He wanted to do the same thing in that little, forgotten town. So in faith I wrote this song and sang it over the town and the believers who lived there. My team and I have gone on to sing this song all around Montana, and we were thrilled to record it so people could keep listening and letting the words sink deep into their hearts and minds.

The album cover art for the “Dry Bones” song features a lone buffalo—the American bison. This was a very deliberate choice. You see, this song is more than just another song; it’s a prophecy to all the forgotten corners of the earth, including my corner—Montana.

One of the symbols for Montana is a dead buffalo skull. It’s seen on road signs, tshirts, artwork, license plates, and even the 25 cent coin which represents our state. (Several other states also have a buffalo on their quarters, but only Montana’s is a skull.) In the 1800s, the herds of mighty bison spread across Montana. But the bison became commercially exploited and were slaughtered for their valuable hides and their tongues, while the rest of the animal was left to rot. In 1881, approximately 180,000 buffalo hides were reportedly shipped from the Miles City, MT area, and by the time Montana became a state in 1889, there were 541 known buffalo left on the Norther American continent. The symbol of a bison skull seems fitting—because the memory is all that’s left.*

The spiritual climate has been just as dead as the buffalo herds. There have been small pockets of good things, but most have been short-lived, while the rest of the state just languishes and waits. The cry has been, “When will God move in our town?” And some brave, pioneer-spirited leaders have tried. “It’s hard ground,” say many of the burnt out pastors, leaders, and prayer warriors. The identity of a dead buffalo skull seems fitting spiritually also.

But I live in the grip of a powerful prophecy from Ezekiel 37. God brought Ezekiel to a valley that was full of dry bones. And God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones and to prophesy to the winds. What an utterly weird and foolish thing to do! But Ezekiel obeyed. And afterward, it says that there was a sound—the sound of rattling bones coming together, standing on their feet and becoming covered with flesh again. The wind came and brought breath back into the fallen ones, and they stood there as a vast army for the Lord God.

The lyrics, the artwork, and the music are all part of delivering the same message. My home church, The River, and I believe that a powerful move of God will sweep through Montana and ultimately impact the whole world. People will say, “a river runs through it”—a river of the Spirit of God. Instead of identifying with a dead buffalo skull, we prophesy that we will be represented by the LIVING buffalo. Because If God can take a Bethlehem or a Nazareth—small, insignificant towns—to shake the entire world, He can do it in my town. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2, NIV). He can do it in all of the small towns of Montana. He can do it in the place where you live.

Shortly after recording the album, one of our band members was out enjoying our beautiful state when he encountered something incredible: not just a buffalo, but a stampeding herd of wild bison, shaking the earth underneath them as they ran with their young. We believe this is a sign of what God is getting ready to do in Montana and many other small, forgotten, and insignificant places around the world. He caught it on film, and it is an incredible sight.

I mentioned earlier that bison were exploited not only for their hides but also for their tongues. Spiritually, I think that represents the voice of the prophetic. And God wants to restore the voice of the fallen to once again declare His glory and His wonders. And it all has to start somewhere. It may start with one lone buffalo. Sometimes it starts with a lone believer, “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (Matthew 3:3, NIV). But it will not just be one for long. Soon it will be the whole herd, the many herds, the army of the Lord.

Will you join us in prophesying? Romans 8:19 says, “creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed” (NIV). Lift your voice and start to speak what Heaven is speaking. Your town, the place where you live—it might look dead or it might look beyond hope. But we serve a God who raises the dead. Begin to ask God for the words He wants you to speak, and speak them with all of your might. Don’t change the subject until it comes to pass. Even if it feels like nobody around you gets it or is listening, creation itself is listening, and the spiritual realm is listening. And when we speak God’s words, they don’t return void (Isaiah 55).

We hope DRY BONES will speak into the depths of your spirit as you listen. Enjoy our lyric video below, and share it for all those who need to hear the message. Please stay in touch with us! We would love to come and worship in your town.

*Please note, this is not an anti-hunting post. I am a Montanan who enjoys our rich hunting heritage—but practiced with the principles of “fair chase” ethics and wildlife conservation goals that were put into motion by Theodore Roosevelt, who became President in 1901. Because of his efforts and the hard work of American hunters, there are now over half a million bison in the United States.

Worship Critics

I was sitting in one of the best studios in the nation, where the biggest names in modern worship culture had produced their albums, the Soundhouse in Redding, CA. Jake Hamilton was welcoming me in the door to produce my next album, and I was lined up with incredible musicians to back me up. The late legendary Andrew Jackson was mixing my music. This was big stuff for a Montana boy.

Surrounded by all of these great musicians and worship leaders, God started talking to me and showing me some ugly things that were going on in my heart—ugly things that were aimed at other worship leaders, songwriters, and churches. It was in this setting that Holy Spirit began to convict me that I was becoming a worship critic instead of a worshiper. And instead of being a worship leader, I was leading other people to be worship critics as well. He exposed the reason: there were other people that were getting more attention and notoriety for their music and ministry than me. And it was painful for me because I felt like I had just as much—and sometimes a lot more—to offer. But I wasn’t being noticed. I was being forgotten. There were other churches that were getting more known for revival than my church, even though we had been contending for revival longer. That was also painful. And to deal with that pain, I let bitterness enter my heart and I started finding the faults of other worship leaders and their songs, nitpicking the little things that I didn’t like. I started keeping notes of what was wrong with other churches too. Of course, it wasn’t always direct criticism. But it came out in little comments of disapproval and a lot of sarcasm and humor. It felt more okay if I could disguise it that way. But the problem was still just as rotten in my heart.

And so much of this rottenness has just been expressed in stupid attempts to discredit other worship leaders’ success so I don’t feel the pain of not having the same success. “That guy sounds like a girl….Their music is so hipster….They sound like they’re trying too hard….Normal churches don’t have a band with that many musicians….They are able to do that because their church just has so much money….Their church is bigger because they never talk about sin.” And the list goes on.

While I was in Redding, Holy Spirit asked me, “John, would you want people to say those things about your music and your church behind your back?” Absolutely not. And so I’ve been in a process of abandoning my critical spirit and learning to be a builder of God’s Church again—especially in my sphere of influence in the worship realm.

At this point, Holy Spirit started to remind me that we are all on the same team! As worshipers, as worship leaders, as churches, we are all seeking to glorify Jesus, to make His praise glorious, and to see His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. So different than the "American Idol" dream in the music industry, we are in this for His glory, not our own.

In our modern culture, the critics are celebrated. Movie critics, music critics, fashion critics, food critics, political critics—these are full-time professions that people have and are paid highly for. In fact, that was part of what I went to school for. To earn my degree, I studied communication criticism, and I’ve been trained to be a critic of media and at least eight different forms of communication. I’m great at it. Some of that has been valuable. But God has been showing me where much of it was no longer about critical thinking but about ugly issues in my heart. We're called to no longer conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:1-2). So if the worldly modern culture celebrates being critical, we need to realize that we're called to something different and higher.

In our modern culture, we are consumers. We're addicted to a constant intake of entertainment, music, visual stimulation, and information. And with so much available, we've become incredibly picky about what we take in. And this further fuels the criticism in us. We feel like we need to comment on every piece of content in our newsfeeds and to give an opinion on whatever our friends are talking about. This somehow makes us feel important and validated—even though we're just spectators of content we didn't create. It's fairly common for me to hear this same consumer-culture spill over into worship: "Yeah, I didn't really care for that album....That band is pretty old school....That new stuff is just a little too rocky...." Since when was worship about us? It's not for us, and it doesn't matter if we "like" it! You don't have to be a worship leader to understand this. Worship music has just become the motivational soundtrack for our lives or in our cars on the way to work so we get all the feels and those positive vibes.

Here’s the problem with this practice of fallen humans. “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand’” (Matthew 12:25, NIV). Criticism causes us to magnify the divisions and differences instead of trying to close the gap. Criticism is like shooting your own comrades in the middle of a war!

You see, criticism has no place in God’s Kingdom. Criticism is the leash that makes us Satan’s pets. Day and night, Satan never stops one activity: he accuses people of their faults before God’s throne (Revelation 12:10). He points out their sins and flaws. If he can incite us to do the same, we are joining the ministry of Satan instead of the ministry of Jesus.

Do you see what’s happening? Day and night, Satan accuses and criticizes. But day and night, worship is happening around the throne, as the living creatures, the elders, and the cloud of witnesses cry “Holy, holy, holy!” And we are either tuned into one or the other. When you start criticizing, you’ve stopped worshiping. When you are a critic, you are not a worshiper. When you are a critic, you are focusing on the imperfections of created things instead of on the perfection of the Holy One. You cannot be both.

The problem is that, as long as we are insecure and have not learned to accept the love of God as the source of our lives, we feel like we need criticism. Criticism gives me the power to push you down. The lyrics of one song say it so well: “I thought I’d grow taller if I made you smaller, but I was wrong” (“I’m sorry” by David Kauffman). Unfortunately, it’s all a lie. We get a temporary feeling of being better than someone else because we can see their flaws or shortcomings. But “in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). In the Kingdom of Jesus, we’ve been called to something else completely. We’ve been called to unity. And we’ve been called to cover a multitude of sins with love.

Have you ever had a song or painting or something you’re creating criticized before it’s finished? When people point out all the flaws, it's hurtful because they are judging your work, and along with it your heart that you’ve put into it, before it is brought to completion. This has happened to me so often, and sometimes I just want to scream, “But it’s not even finished yet!” The reality is that every single believer on this planet is God’s handiwork that he is currently perfecting into a masterpiece. When we criticize another believer, another worship leader, or another person’s ministry, we are criticizing God! They are made in His image. They are his masterpiece, but he isn’t done with them yet. And we need to learn to be building and encouraging what God is doing, hoping the best about their future, seeing them through the eyes of faith of what God says they will become. “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand” (Romans 14:4).

Criticism has a long and ugly history, reaching all the way back to the first family. Cain was a worship critic. “The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast” (Genesis 4:4-5). Instead of learning from Abel about how to also obtain favor with the Lord, Cain went on the attack—destroying his brother. He went so far as to kill him. And isn’t that what we do as humans? Instead of celebrating the favor other people have with God and with people, we attack and destroy others because they have what we want. But in the Kingdom, we are called to something else completely. We're new creations who are called to humility. In the place of humility, we can actually learn from others and receive favor from God: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble" (James 4:6). The next time you see someone who has more success than you, I encourage you, go learn from them instead of criticizing them.

Another well-known—but often-forgotten—story in the Bible is about Michal. When her husband David danced before the Lord, she moved into a place of criticism. She found what was wrong with David’s worship (in her opinion), and decided to give voice to her opinions. She despised him in her heart and made herself the judge of David’s worship. “David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.’ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death” (2 Samuel 6:21-23).

Before we criticize the worship, the expressions, or the motives of other people, we must sternly remind ourselves that worship never has been and never will be for us. It is for the Lord. And we must also remember that God has chosen them and put His favor on them—whether we like them or not. God doesn’t ask for our opinion before He gives them authority and influence. When someone else receives the favor we want for ourselves, this critical spirit often reveals the very reason God cannot trust us with the same level of influence. We aren’t in it for His glory, but for our own. The critical spirit in Michal’s heart brought barrenness upon her. In the same way, a critical spirit in us can release barrenness in our lives that will abort our ministries, our opportunities, and our future influence before they even begin. And I don’t think God does that to us. We do it to ourselves, because fostering criticism in our hearts is like drinking poison. It kills the very life we say we want. Criticism is an open door for the destroyer to release back on you everything that you’re releasing toward others.

Jesus made this point very clear in Matthew 6:14-15, you cannot count other people’s sins against them and expect that God will count righteousness toward you! The measure you use will be measured back to you.

Criticism sneaks in when we forget (1) how much we’ve been forgiven and (2) how much we are valued by God. When we lose focus on how great our own sin and failures are, it’s easy to become self-righteous. It’s also possible that we’re aware of our own failures, and to deflect that negativity, we become obsessed with other people thinking well of us. But when you’re consumed with thoughts of how the most important Person in the universe has set His affection on you, it suddenly doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks or if they ever notice you at all.

Just to be clear, I am not saying that there is never a place for righteous judgment or discernment. There certainly is. But most often, criticism doesn’t come out of a heart to serve others, but rather to have personal gain. And our "discernment" is never real unless it is rooted in love. If the end result isn't that people are built up and God's Church is strengthened, there's something wrong.

As we stay busy worshiping the Perfect One, and we will be left with very little time to criticize the imperfect ones.

I cannot say that I’ve got all of this worked out yet. But I’m endeavoring to change by cooperating with where Holy Spirit is leading me. This is where He is leading the whole Church worldwide. I want to encourage you to join me!

I pray we all will continue have our eyes opened to the awe and wonder of all that Jesus is—until our day and night passion is to worship Him. Then there will be no room left for criticism, because Jesus is all we see.

The New Breed of worshipers

I remember standing with my guitar in my church one day—all alone—with a microphone in front of me. I was just there worshiping. And as I was singing, a song erupted from inside my heart. "Give me an undivided heart so I can walk in purity—because I desire to see Your face!" I sang it over and over again. It was so simple, so unimpressive. Yet somehow I knew that I had tapped into a level of worship that actually mattered—something that was tapping into what Jesus called "worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24, NIV).

Over the last several years, God has been speaking to me and teaching me about a new breed of worshipers He is raising up, and I feel that now is the time to begin declaring what He has shown me. These are key revelations for anyone that is a worshiper and especially for anyone called to lead worship.

I truly believe that God is looking for something far different in worship than we have been looking for. The more "pro" I become, the more I realize how good we all have become at our version of "worship." We sound better than we ever have and we play and sing better than we ever have. We've mastered the most passionate expressions of praise in the way we lift our hands, lie prostrate on the floor, or dance. Our lighting and set designs capture the attention of every eye toward the front. We know how to create mood and atmosphere. We know how to copy everything that looks like revival. And yet, somehow it just isn't true when we walk out the door, and the level of our walk in the Holy Spirit falls so far short of real revival. As worship pastor at a local church (not just a touring musician), I've gotten to watch the effects of all of our "worship," and so much of it doesn't really even matter. It doesn't matter because it hasn't produced lovers of God or disciples who take up their cross to follow Jesus. We look like we're worshiping, but our lives are just the same as they always have been.

I believe that God is raising up a new breed of worshipers and that there is a new wave of worship that is about to sweep the earth. Jesus prophesied about it when He declared, "a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" (John 4:23). A time is coming! It began with Jesus, but it's also coming. It's worship that no longer accommodates passive Christianity. This wave of worship is made up of worshipers and songs that force a decision in the hearts of those who hear: "Am I going to love God with my whole heart, my whole life, my all—or not?" This wave of worship is fueled by Holy Spirit and fire. It is passionate for worship that is actually true. And it's offensive, because it prophetically carries the testimony of Jesus—the same Jesus who overturned the tables of money changers in the temple. And now this worship is about to flip the tables in the hearts of humanity.

Part of the reason this new breed of worshipers is so different is that their worship is marked by obedience. They aren't satisfied to just sound like they are worshiping, but they are actively showing their hearts love God by the way they obey His words. They search to please the eyes of God when no one else is looking. After all, God isn't just after songs; the Father is seeking worshipers. They pursue a connection with the God of the Heavens. And once they've met with Him, they declare what they've heard on the earth. They understand that worship "in spirit" cannot be reduced to worship with emotion, but is inseparable from direct encounter with Holy Spirit Himself. And they understand that worship is not merely an expression of our feelings toward God, but a commitment to a lifestyle that is in accordance with someone named Truth and and a commitment to see all things from His perspective.

This new breed of worshipers sings different kinds of songs. They don't just try to write "Christian" songs that rhyme. They are far too busy catching songs that fall straight from Heaven. Like Moses, their ears are inclined toward Heaven and they write the words that they hear coming from the lips of God, because they know God Himself writes songs (Deuteronomy 31:19). They receive songs in their dreams that were written in Heaven first, songs that have power to give life to those who listen (Isaiah 50:4). They are caught up before the throne and write down the songs they hear being sung there (Revelation 4:8).

God is raising up a kind of worshipers that are consumed by zeal for His house, for His honor, more than their personal comfort (John 2:17). They have found that He is the treasure in the field, and their lives are dedicated to buying that field (Matthew 13:44). He is raising up worshipers that have a passion to be the Bride that Jesus has longed for (Matthew 22:2). They echo the cry of the Moravians, "that the Lamb would receive the reward of His suffering!"

This new breed of worshipers understands that God has already moved past our level of worship. What we think is the high water mark is nowhere near the flooding, surging level that the river of God will reach. You see, we're not even scared yet. And in Proverbs, it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. We don't even begin to know what real worship looks like until we're a bit scared. "With Jesus leading the way...the disciples were astonished, and those who followed were afraid" (Mark 10:32). There's a reason that the 24 elders fall on their faces to worship. The living creatures are overwhelmed and cry, "Holy, holy, holy" while many of us haven't moved yet past, "Good, good, good." Don't get me wrong, His goodness is unfathomable. But there is more. God's holiness is good and His goodness is absolutely holy. I will say it again: God has already moved past our current level of worship. We are comfortable to stay where we are at, and He is still moving. And worship is for Him. This new breed of worshipers define the success of their worship by whether or not they are moving where He is moving.

God is raising the bar on what "prophetic worship" means too. His prophetic worship has moved past anything we have seen yet. It encompasses far more than our sound or our spontaneity. We will become the most prophetic when we decide to step into the prophecies that were written about us before we were even born. Jesus was the most prophetic individual on the planet—not because of his foretelling of the future, but because He manifested the desire of heaven on the earth. "Behold, it is written about me in the scroll. I have come to do Your will, oh God" (Hebrews 10:7). Obedience is more prophetic than reading someone's mail. Our worship is most prophetic not when we prophesy, but when we become what God Himself has prophesied. Our worship will be truly prophetic when we step into His prophetic call over our lives. He prophesied that we would be true worshipers (John 4:23). He prophesied a bride who has made herself ready—wearing linen that is bright and clean, linen that came from the righteous acts of the saints who are in love with Jesus (Revelation 19:7-8). He prophesied a group of people who overcome darkness by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony and who don't love their own lives even unto death (Revelation 12:11). He prophesied an army of dry bones that are dressed and ready for battle, who live for the harvest instead of personal happiness (Ezekiel 37 and Psalm 110:3).

In 2010, I was leading worship on a ministry trip to Australia that forever changed my life and worship ministry. God came powerfully during a worship time and said very clearly to me, "I'm giving you worship with teeth." I immediately knew what He meant. It isn't worship that waits for the last night of a conference to be powerful—kind of by accident or when people are especially in the mood. No, worship with teeth is worship that sets the agenda of Lion of the tribe of Judah. This new breed of worshipers have worship with teeth. God is raising up a new breed of worshipers who understand that worship isn't just for the sake of other people hearing them. They worship because they know that the entire spirit realm is listening, and all of creation is listening too. Their worship is warfare. They worship until the atmosphere shifts, until this atmosphere is the very atmosphere of worship in heaven. They worship until the Kingdoms of this world become completely surrendered to the Kingdom of Jesus (Revelation 11:15).

In the scriptures, there are two words that we don't use often enough anymore: sanctify and consecrate. Sanctify means "to set apart for a special purpose and only that purpose." Consecrate means "to dedicate someone or something for divine purposes." One of my favorite verses is this one, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5). And I believe that this is the call that God is issuing across the whole world right now. He's about to do amazing things among us, and He's looking for people who sanctify themselves, for people who are consecrated. He's looking for people to rise up and say, "God, I'm ready to be part of this new breed of worshipers—a true worshiper, the kind that You are seeking. I want to be a worshiper with an Undivided Heart, a worshiper who sings the songs that were written in heaven first, a worshiper with teeth."

The Awe of a Disciple

What does a disciple of Jesus look like? I’m sure that many could come up with a list of attributes or attitudes that disciples of Jesus should have. But the Bible gives one description of the disciples and followers of Jesus that grips me:

“They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid” (Mark 10:32, NIV).

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I realize how important this description is. Another translation says, "Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear" (NLT). Another puts it like this, "Jesus was walking on in front of them; and they were bewildered and perplexed and greatly astonished, and those [who were still] following were seized with alarm and were afraid" (AMP).

You see, if there isn't a sense of awe in your walk with God—mixed with fear, astonishment, and perplexity—you might not truly be a disciple and follower of Jesus. If this doesn't describe you and I, it's a sign that we aren't living our lives in close enough proximity to Him. 

At the time this verse was written, the disciples had been following Jesus for about 3 years. Day in, day out—they did everything that Jesus did. And it cost them dearly to follow. In verse 28, just a few verses prior, Peter had exclaimed, "We have left everything to follow You!" After leaving everything and following Jesus, they were exposed to a lifestyle that was mind-boggling; they experienced the most extreme supernatural workings of God, watching as Jesus raised the dead, turned water into wine, as He calmed storms with a word, as He walked on water, and as He set people free. The disciples themselves had even experienced the supernatural power of God flowing through their own hands as they watched food multiply, the sick healed, and the demonized set free (see Mark 6:7, Luke 9:1, Luke 10:17 for examples). They experienced a level of supernatural experiences and of heaven breaking into earth like almost nobody on earth prior. 

Along with these powerful displays of the miraculous, the disciples also received the call of Jesus to abandon earthly security. Jesus repeatedly gave them new rules for living His Kingdom way, and they were extreme: Don't worry about your life or about what you will eat, drink or wear; find your life by losing it for My sake; don't store up treasures on earth but store them up in heaven; love your enemies and do good to those who hate you; be perfect; and eat My flesh and drink My blood. 

Jesus was inviting His disciples into a life of extreme miracles and extreme sacrifice, a life of blessing and of persecution. He called them to trust Him with everything and to not trust in anything else. The bridge from the way they were used to living into His Kingdom was all or nothing—not just once, but every day. 

As I follow Jesus, I have found that He is the most thrilling person and the scariest person I know. He has the power to absolutely change my life and my circumstances like no one else can—but He says that I need to let Him run my life. Many times have I asked Him to bless my finances, and He speaks to my heart to give away what I have first. Every time I obey, the miraculous happens! But it's scary! He has asked me to go to some of the most dangerous places where I could lose my life—and those are the places where I've seen the greatest miracles. I feel the most alive when I am the most out of control and trusting that He is faithful. 

In Mark 10:32, it gives the reason that they were in awe and fear: "Jesus [was] leading the way." They were going with His flow, at His pace, where He wanted to go. (And, in context, He was going to Jerusalem to willingly die.) If you are truly a disciple and follower of Jesus, this is what it looks like. He is out in front. He isn't just our "buddy" with whom we discuss our options of how to live. He isn't just a little splash of heaven to warm our hearts. He isn't just a little grace to cover our precious bad habits. No. If He's not in front, then we aren't followers. 

I believe that we are living in a time where God is calling us back to the basics. Sometimes we can become so sophisticated in our spirituality that we can rationalize our way out of just obeying God. We are so padded by our repertoire of scriptural quotes and tweets from our favorite spiritual gurus that we don't drop our nets to follow Jesus anymore. Sometimes we forget that following Jesus is absolutely crazy—or at least it should look and feel that way. He chooses things that are foolish to shut up what seems intelligent. He does it on purpose because He likes it that way. He takes things that don't even exist yet and uses them to defeat His enemies. His ways are higher than all the ways we've learned, and they always are going to be better. He wants His heavenly Kingdom to be the authority over all—all earthly kingdoms and all my decisions. 

As I read this simple description of the disciples, I am reminded that being a disciple and following Jesus is both awesome and frightening. If you've never had this experience, you might not yet know what it actually means to follow Jesus. You see, Jesus never asked anyone to pray a prayer, raise their hand while everyone's eyes were closed, or sign a decision card to become a disciple. He never counted His converts. That's not even in the book! It's a low-level substitute—a false security—that tells us we can have heaven while we still live the earthly lives we are used to. It's time for us to go back to what Jesus actually said and did: He promised us all of heaven and demanded that we follow, no matter the cost. For some people, that means Jesus will require us to forgive those who have hurt us so deeply. For others, it will mean that we will go live in a place that is far from home—or to stay when we would rather run. For others, it will mean cutting off relationships that distract us from Heavenly pursuit. It may mean giving away your furniture and your car. It may mean laying down your life. But if Jesus is worth following at all, He's worth following all the way. If you've never lived like this, now is a great time to start. Just tell the Lord, "Jesus, I may have prayed a prayer that you would forgive my sins, but I've never chosen to follow you and become a disciple. But I'm ready for the journey. I don't even know where we are going, but I trust that You are good and I will follow You." 

Maybe you have chosen to follow Jesus and to become a disciple. But do a heart check. For me, if I'm not overwhelmed with awe and nervous at the same time, then that is a sign that I'm not following Jesus as close as I need to. Maybe I've stopped to smell the roses and gotten distracted. Maybe I've shut my eyes and covered my ears because it's hard. Or maybe I've stepped up to give Jesus my advice about where we ought to be going instead of following where He knows we need to go. If that sounds like you, it's time to become a follower all over again. It's a choice we make daily, not just once.

You see, there is something called the "fear of the Lord," and a true disciple has it. There is no better attribute of your life as a disciple. Without the fear of the Lord, I believe, we cannot even truly love God or worship Him in spirit and truth. The fear of the Lord comes with all of these promises and more:

• "The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love" (Psalm 33:18).

• "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life" (Proverbs 14:27).

• "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them" (Psalm 34:7).

If you're in the middle of awe, astonishment, bewilderment, overwhelming fear, and perplexity—all because you've been so close to Jesus—you're right where you should be. And if you're not, I challenge you not to settle for anything less than awe and the fear of the Lord. I challenge you to make your discipleship look like scripture rather than what popular religion has stooped down to. Let your Christianity be defined by your likeness to Christ Himself. Let Jesus lead out front in your life, and follow Him as closely as you possibly can.