Jun/101
Ordinary but Recognized
Acts 4:13 (NLTse) — The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
As I was reading this passage this morning, two things struck me. First of all, Peter and John were ORDINARY men. There was nothing super special about them that made them noticeable except for one thing — they were bold. It actually says that the members of the council were amazed at their boldness. What further amazed them was that these two men were without any special training in Bible theology. They didn’t spend weeks or even years being taught in Bible training school.
What was the characteristic that made them so unique being merely ordinary men? I believe the second thing is the key — “they also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” When we’ve been with Jesus, we don’t come across as ordinary men and women. Those having been with Jesus cross over from the ordinary to the extraordinary. They aren’t the “normal” people at work or school. They are the individuals who don’t blend in with society but rather, boldly stand out. Are people amazed at your boldness as an ordinary person? Do you stand out in the crowd? Are you identified by others as one who has “been with Jesus?” The key is having been with this man, Jesus. Let’s devote our lives to one thing as David did when he said in Psalm 27:4:
The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
Jun/101
Happy Father’s Day Cards
Every Father’s Day is filled with cards of various kinds. Last night I got my usual three — one from Charlene and one each from Selah & Samara which are the best little girls (not so little anymore) in the entire world including all of China!
Anyway, this morning I received a couple more. What’s funny is BOTH of them were the exact same card. I must confess that I am one of those individuals that usually jumps to the bottom of the card and reads the signature and any note that someone may have taken the time to include. However, I figured that God must really want me to read the card and take them seriously since I got two of them. Here is what the cards said:
DAD — There are lots of dads in the world, but I got the one who was just what I needed . . . Thanks for saying no when it needed to be said, for giving me limits and keeping me safe, and most of all, for believing in me and loving me, no matter what. I hope I make you proud, since that’s the only way I can ever begin to thank you enough. Happy Father’s Day.
Tarik El-Naggar during our Living Stones Crown Point services this morning made the following statement: “The greatest joy of a father is the success of his child.”
You see, I have two daughters — 8 and 11 years old. Then I have a group of spiritual kids most of them being sons. The young ones range in age from 18-25. The greatest joy I find as a spiritual father (and as an adoptive father of my two girls) is seeing them grow, learn, fail, stand back up and then grow, learn, and fail all over again. I am a very proud father of many children. And my greatest joy is seeing them succeed. For all of my spiritual sons & daughters, I am so proud of you and thank God for the opportunity to see you grow and learn and to help guide you along the path.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Jun/101
Living in God’s House
Psalm 84:4 — What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.
Often when we read this verse, we can get the impression that this it is in reference to those you have the luxury of constantly living in God’s presence singing and worshiping. For the rest of that actually have jobs, families, and other varying responsibilities, we can’t afford that luxury.
However, I don’t believe that the heart behind this scripture due to our new covenant. It’s not that we should live inside the church building or inside our prayer closet. If we are the temple of Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), then we are constantly living in God’s house. Actually, we ARE God’s house.
If our spirit is constantly activated, then our lives are filled with worship which includes singing praises. Therefore, as you live your life today, remember that as a believer in Jesus Christ, you are the dwelling place of God. Remember that you live in that place. Remember to keep your spirit activated so that your life is filled with and IS worship.
Jun/103
Worship — A Musical Style?
Tonight while driving with the family and listening to some good mainstream, Christian contemporary Christian music, I had a thought. I came to a realization while listening to the songs, music, and lyrics from the band, Sevenglory, on their CD Atmosphere. In the midst of pondering the lyrics and enjoying the music, I realized that I was worshiping. But wait a minute . . . this music isn’t music that we would do on a typical Sunday morning at Living Stones or any other “typical” American church for that matter. It would be viewed by most religious people as unacceptable for a “worship service.”
While some may argue the ability to worship to any music, I would argue that you would have to have been inside my heart to make that determination. And since you can’t get inside my heart, you’ll either have to take my word for it or call me crazy. This whole point reaffirms a message that has burned inside of me for quite some time. Life is worship. If we are living life filled by the glory of God as evidenced by the power of Holy Spirit working in us, then everything we do is worship. Driving my newly purchased Mustang convertible with the top fully down and my full head of hair blowing in the wind, for me is worship. Why? . . . because while doing so it causes me to focus my attention on the greatness of God and the wonder of His beautiful creation. That beautiful creation includes me. When I am joyful because of anything connected with God, it’s worship.
Now back to my original point. I contend that we can worship just as fully while listening to contemporary Christian music as much as we can to the typical worship genre. I contend that we can worship while viewing art created by a secular artist. Why? Because the God of all creation still is at the source of all creative ability. It causes me to worship. I contend that you can even listen to a completely secular song (pure in its lyrics and spirit) and the message and the music can direct you toward God and cause you to worship. You see worship isn’t a style and isn’t even about music. Worship, at the very core, is that which we hold as most important.
Jun/102
To My Spiritual Father
This morning I woke up thinking about my spiritual father — Pastor Ron Johnson, Sr. He and Pastor Carol are headed off this morning to beautiful Maine on the east coast to celebrate their 50th Anniversary which is on Friday. 
This morning as I was standing in the kitchen thinking about how grateful I was for his influence in my life. While thinking on this, I quickly broke into tears. If you know me well, that really isn’t saying too much because I can hardly make it through a day without crying about something and definitely never a week! And for the record, I think I am emotionally stable. Some may disagree.
In any event, the point is that I honestly do not know where I would be if it weren’t for my spiritual father’s influence in my life. So much has happened in my life, particularly in the last year or so including among many things, losing my own father who passed away in September.
As I continue to age, grow, and mature, I am more aware than ever of the true significance and importance of having a spiritual father. Some have mentors; few have fathers. To some it may be a matter of semantics and actually may mean the same thing. However, for me, this isn’t the case. A mentor is someone who gives you advice and you choose to listen or not. They are the person you go to when you have major life decisions to make, and you’re not quite sure what to do. A true spiritual father is more than that. A spiritual father is one who loves their son more than their own self. A spiritual father is one who is willing to die to his own desires in order to see his son accomplish his. A father is there to listen, guide, and most of all protect the son at all costs; whatever it costs him, he is willing to give. If it’s time, energy, money — whatever the cost — he gives it.
What every generation and this culture needs is true fathers who will lay down their lives for their sons. Thank you, Pastor. My hope and prayer is that I will become a father to many as you have been to me.
Mar/103
From Victory not For Victory
This month at our Living Stones College, I’ve been teaching a course on Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance. Although I’ve taught this course previously, I was really excited to teach this class again. Over the last several months, God has really been teaching me so much through ordinary experiences of life — much of it precipitated by the death of my father in September. Since the first of the year, I’ve noticed that my prayers and the way in which I pray has changed dramatically. You see, I never enjoyed corporate prayer because much of the time was spent finding the darkness and trying to kick it out. After awhile, that mode of waging war grows incredibly old.
Instead, I’ve received the fresh revelation (although the truth isn’t new or something I haven’t known) that we aren’t fighting for VICTORY, we are fighting FROM VICTORY. You see, we’ve already won. One of my favorite scriptures related to spiritual warfare is Colossians 2:13-15.
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Jesus Christ took on our sin that we might be made alive with Him. The power of the cross has canceled any charges that could ever be placed against us. By doing this, he has disarmed all the powers and principalities that try to rule over us. What’s even more exciting, he made a public spectacle of our enemy! Now we must contend to see the reality of that victory made manifest in the earth.
Dec/092
Revival – Easier to Bring, Harder to Sustain
Our entire family (including my mom and sister’s family) is enjoying the holidays in sunny Florida for the first time ever. While all of our friends back in Indiana are experiencing snow and cold, we’ve been enjoying warm, sunny days by the heated pool. Like any other Florida vacation, what would the trip be without at least a day at Disney? So, today is the day.
As we’re driving down I-4 from Tampa to Orlando, I am reminded of our trip down here to Lakeland during the summer of 2008. I know that a lot of people have a lot of unanswered questions about that move of God. I choose not to go there in my thinking because I don’t have the answers either. But here is what I am thinking about. I am thinking about that local church, if like ours, prayed and prayed for revival for what was most likely many years. I have many emotions and feelings for them. I am sure that no matter what the outcome, numerous were changed by God’s powerful presence.
Here’s what I am sitting here pondering. Revival is something that is very difficult to “bring.” As a matter of fact, it’s impossible to bring without the Father’s sovereign move. But as difficult as that is, sustaining such a move is even more difficult. I believe this is why God in many places is holding back His sovereign hand from unleashing revival. Right now, He is still withholding His move because He is in the process of preparing those who will carry His next move.
I think, perhaps, we may be better served by not asking God continually for what He already is agreeing with us that He wants (revival). We would much better be served by presenting ourselves to the man Jesus, who Himself is Revival, and ask him to do whatsoever He wills that we might be those proven, marked, and prepared to carry this man Jesus. It is then that we will see Revival as we are carriers of Him, AND we will be those who can sustain it.
Aug/092
The Turning Point
“Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.” — Romans 4:3 (MSG)
I wrote this scripture down a few weeks ago when I was reading Romans from the Message Bible. Abraham’s turning point came when he finally realized what God was doing for him (Abraham). How many times do we work really hard without realizing that God is already doing all the hard work on our behalf. Perhaps we would be much better off if we stopped trying to work for God and instead began to realize that God is already working for us. As that passage continues, it says that, “He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.” How profound! We all know it. We can’t be made right on our own. We can’t even do right on our own let alone “be made right” on our own. We all know that. However, how we live our lives proves that we don’t believe it. We may know it; yet we don’t actually believe it.
But here’s where it got really good for Abraham. At some point — this turning point — Abraham began to believe what he already knew. He began to believe not only that God was working on his behalf, but also that God, in this working, made him righteous. No longer did Abraham have to strive to make himself right. Instead, he began to rest in the truth that he couldn’t make himself right and this had to be left completely to God. What peace this brings. In some ways, we can’t understand. How can we be made right without doing a thing? This is the essence of faith — not really understanding but choosing to believe and receive anyway.
Pastor Jon Plotner
