A New Kind of Normal

When I watch documentaries of what God is doing in other places I understand more that we need a higher normal in our culture. We need to raise the bar of our expectancy and what we consider to be normal Christianity. In China there is such desperation to worship and hear the word they will stand for 12 hours to worship and listen. In Mozambique nearly all the deaf that are prayed for (in the ministry documented) are able to hear and about a hundred people have been raised from the dead. Miracles are happening amongst the gypsies in Europe. They are the most hated people group in the world. In some places of the world, people are forgiving their enemies in ways that should make us feel ashamed at how easily we are offended here in American life. The norm needs to be raised in our love level and our faith level.

Most of us are satisfied and even excited to experience or hear about a miracle ever now and then. We think that “some miracles” is enough. Nazareth had a “some miracles” in Jesus’ time but was still recorded as a town of unbelief. Is our normal any different than that of Nazareth? At first, the people of Nazareth were impressed with Jesus’ words. (see Luke 4:22) We might say they were even inspired. His words were coming alive in them. Then, quickly they began to question His words of declaration. They were familiar with Him. He had grown up in their town. In a moments time they moved from a place of inspiration, grace, and empowerment to a place of tragic unbelief. People often shut down the Holy Spirit’s life giving breath upon them by allowing questions of unbelief to form in their hearts.

Jesus expected us to raise the bar of normalcy when He told us that we would do greater works than He Himself did during His physical ministry here. (see John 14:12) We can twist that promise several ways. Someone might say that we are doing social works throughout the world in greater measure than Jesus did. The “Greater Works” He was talking about was miracles, healing and deliverance. Study it closely and you will see that these are the works He was talking about. Social works (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the poor, etc.) are of the greatest importance and Jesus continuously encouraged them. Then there are some who would argue that miracles were only for Bible days. This is the saddest excuse of them all. This only helps faithless people to develop a seared conscience. (see I Timothy 4:2) Teachings that hint such doctrine should be trashed.

We need to reverence the Words of Christ to the degree that we refuse to even set the level at our own personal experience. I have had ministers tell me that they do not believe in certain things because they have never experienced these things. The level of faith and expectancy must be greater than anything that we have seen or experienced. Having made our foundation upon the Word and promises of God we need to reach for the unseen. We must not even allow history to control our vision or dictate our accomplishments for the future. Just because we haven’t seen something happen yet doesn’t hinder God. With God all things are possible.

One of my favorite stories in Scripture is how David took the stronghold of the city that we now know as Jerusalem. David was born in a time when unconquered enemies still controlled parts of the promised land. David knew God had promised more to His people than they presently possessed. When David became King and surveyed the land, he knew God wanted him to take all of the land. The stronghold of Jerusalem was under the control of the Jebusites. They were a violent mountain people. They had never been conquered. The people during Joshua’s day had not conquered them. During the days of the Judges they still remained in their strongholds. Some of Israel’s greatest heroes had failed to conquer them. All of this was enough to persuade normal people to leave them alone. But David was not normal. He was above normal and his idea of normal was to take the strongest down first.

When the Jebusites heard of David’s plan to take their city, they mocked him. (see II Samuel 5:6-8) Their proverb was that the blind and lame could hold the city and turn David away. Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion and took the city. It was named, “The City of David” and later named Jerusalem. It became the capital of David’s empire and remains the capital today. David did not allow the past to hold him back. History may have had only records of defeat but David raised the normal and did a new thing. He conquered something not yet conquered by his people. God is calling us to do the same. Just because we haven’t seen it yet is no reason to not go forward and make new history. God can change everything overnight.

The mockery of the Jebusites holds some truth. It is often the blind and the lame that keep us from taking the promises God has placed before us. Our biggest enemy can be unbelieving professed Christians sitting beside us in church each week. Sitting in spiritual blindness they don’t see the promises or the vision God has given to His people. The lame are those who once walked with Christ and knew His power but have allowed false teachers to teach them that the power of God is not for us. Miracles and experiences of the past are explained away for a comfortable life of unbelief without any challenges of their faith. Now they are lame. These people can discourage us if we allow them to.

I remember sitting under professors in seminary who denied the existence of angels and even questioned a physical Heaven. Others glorified the professors of the 70’s who had pronounced that God was dead. I attended the seminary for 3 summers that made this announcement and they had proceeded to have a mock funeral for God. Either these professors never met the Lord or they had been blinded by too much rational knowledge. They had become both blind and lame. Did they hinder me? It didn’t do that at all…. it only made me stronger. There rose up in me a greater resolve to proclaim truth…. Radical truth that would set people free and reform society. The proverbs of the enemy should only lure us into the fight to take the strongholds and extend the kingdom of God. We are a violent people and we take the kingdom by force. (see Matthew 11:12) Moving by faith we believe that through Christ we overcome the greatest obstacles that stand in our way. Our battle is not against man but against powers of evil often resident in high places. Places that seem impossible to take.

It is true that our fathers have failed to bring down some strongholds in our cities and regions. Also, our generation has built its own strongholds against the kingdom of God. This is no problem for God. He has a greater vision. Although the vision tarries, it has been set for an appointed time. It will certainly come and that without delay. (see Hab. 2:34) It is our time to take the strongholds and bring the dreams of God into their proper manifestation. Don’t hold back. Set a new kind of normal in your life. Anything God gives you a thumbs up to do… go for it. Jesus did what He saw His Father doing. A thumbs up from the Father is backed by Heaven itself.

The are two great lessons to be learned from David’s story. David didn’t hold back because of the taunts of the enemy and he didn’t hold back because of the failures of those before him. He set a new kind of norm.
I love the early years of David’s life. You know what I’m talking about…. Killing a bear and a lion while watching his father’s sheep… writing psalms in the hills while watching the moon rise over the mountains… visiting the war camps where his brothers were fighting… killing Goliath, the strongest giant of the day…. Singing for the king… But, did you ever catch the note in I Samuel 17:54? David took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem. Remember it was still occupied by the Jebusites. I think David was making a deposit. In less than 20 years he would return as King of the Promised Land and take the city. That day when he delivered the head of the giant, he may have been thinking, “You may say I’m young and my own king now calls me a stripling, but I serve a mighty big God and I will be back!”. Wow, what a young man!

Youth and children are able to believe so easily. Children believe in the miracles of God until an adult tells them differently. Jesus said that to enter the kingdom we must become as children. (see Matthew 10:15) They have a different norm. In their eyes magic still happens. It hasn’t been explained away. In the documentary on Mozambique, children were doing most of the praying for the sick. It would be wise for leaders today to call children forth to pray over the sick. It would be somewhat humbling for those who love control, but why not let the magic begin?
As David took the biggest giant when he was a young man, he took the biggest stronghold as the nation’s young king. David had something inside of him from his youth that urged him on until the day he died. Even his own failures did not succeed in holding him back from accomplishing all the wills of his God. (See Acts 13:22 and 13:36)

As I hear these stories and I feel these truths rising in me….. my spiritual temperature is rising…. My passion is rising….. my normal is rising… We are walking in Ezekiel’s River of God and the water is rising. A trickle has become a river. It’s went from ankle deep to knee deep. Then it’s went from knee deep to waist deep. Hold on…. We now have waters to swim in… The farther the River went from the temple (where the blind and lame sit each Sunday) the deeper it became and the more miracles happened. The conclusion of the vision of the River was that everything the River touched was healed. (see Ezekiel 47:9) Everything lived. Can this be the new kind of norm? Can you and I believe such a thing?

As kids say…. I double dare you to believe such a thing!