Letter to Leaders

KISS, not the rock group,

but that old acronym:

“Keep It Simple Servant” (stupid)

Only one of the New Testament writers was a scholar, Saul of Tarsus, known best as Paul the Apostle. This letter is mostly my musings, thoughts that I hope encourage rather than frustrate.

You see, I’m reminded that the majority of the first apostles were fishermen, a few students of John the Baptist and a few men just looking for answers, like Judas and Simon Zealous.

These were not learned men. Most were Galileans, who were considered uncouth in some way. Judas was from Kerioth, Isk- kerioth, transliterated as Iscariot, a man from Kerioth. These were common men who left their homes and families to follow this Rabbi, Jesus. Their credentials became their sufferings, imprisonment and even martyrdom. Simple men with a simple message, Jesus is the Messiah and son of God.

These men followed Jesus in part due to the miracles He did and the loving acceptance of the people, healings and deliverance. The Jewish scriptures spoke of the Hope of Israel.

Son of God, Messiah? Jesus said His Father revealed this to Simon Peter. Wow, God did the work. Peter was so fragile and human; shortly he would be rebuked for his misguided discouragement of Jesus completing His mission. Jesus called Peter Satan for this discouragement.

Yet this man was molded into an Apostle that helped change the world. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the writings of this man impact the followers of Jesus, still today.

It’s true these Jewish men studied the prophets and Torah as boys. But following Jesus put their culture in a whole new context. The old prophecies made sense, but only after the Pentecostal meeting in the upper room.

I want to encourage leaders to return to your upper room.  In the Revelation, John encouraged the church of Ephesus to return to their first love. It appears to me that John wanted this church to return to the simplest message of Jesus, love. That is a Holy Ghost revelation. It’s a fiery, windy revelation. A supernatural gift of love; above and beyond our emotions, like tongues and prophecy, which flows from the Spirit through the spirit: Without human understanding only obedience.

We need the wind and fire again. We need to stay in a place where the sound of heaven is mighty and the fire rests upon us. When we speak, does heaven’s wind roar? Do we see the flame of the Spirit upon us, our work and activities? Let’s return to our first love, a simple message of Jesus, God’s love of the word.