Beyond the Hands and Feet of Christ

Beyond the Hands and Feet of Christ

by | Jun 1, 2021

Beyond the Hands and Feet of Christ

 

A recent pastoral prayer I heard reminded me that it’s time to up your prayer game beyond praying to be the hands and feet of Christ. Longing to be a mere appendage of Christ is aiming too low. Rather than being the hands and feet of Christ, aim for the consciousness of Christ.

While Teresa of Avila popularized the idea that “Christ has no body but yours; No hands, no feet on earth but yours,” the scriptures make an even bolder assertion. You “have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16)

While being the hands and feet of Christ denotes doing good deeds and offering compassionate service, having the mind of Christ denotes unity with God. The truth is anybody can do good deeds. (And thankfully, many, many people do.) But you are called to more than that. You are called to operate from divine consciousness. This consciousness is what enables the move from discipleship to apostleship, and from believing in Jesus to believing like Jesus.

As I write elsewhere belief in Jesus means trusting in his power, his love, his teachings, and his saving grace. This is the kind of faith commonly taught in church. You’ll hear this motif reflected in songs and hymns, sermons and Bible studies, as well as children’s messages and youth curriculum. It is the focus of much teaching on salvation. Belief in Jesus is the stuff of discipleship.

But having the mind of Christ, of believing like Jesus, is more apostleship than discipleship. This divine consciousness leads to a deep knowing that you are one with God and one with the Holy Spirit. With it, you cultivate an unwavering trust in your life purpose. You have rock-solid faith that all things are possible. As a result, you entertain an ever-ready expectancy of miracles. Most of all, with the mind of Christ, you live in constant communion with, and surrender to, God. Here’s the bottom line. When you have the mind of Christ, you operate in an elevated state of consciousness in which there is no separation between humanity and divinity, between you and God.

I can’t help but wonder what would happen if we prayed for the consciousness of Christ. When the disciples moved into the apostolic mode Peter healed a paralyzed man. Paul and Silas sang in jail until the chains broke. Mere shadows of the apostles caused people to heal. The apostles oversaw the rapid multiplication of the church, with thousands upon thousands becoming believers.

What could be possible now, in these post-pandemic times? What new visions might you dream? Are there new miracles you might manifest? New areas of growth you might shepherd?

Learn more about our step-by-step approach that moves you from discipleship to apostleship: Creating a Culture of Renewal®

 

Do You Have the Faith of a Mailman?

Do You Have the Faith of a Mailman?

by | May 13, 2021

Do You Have the Faith of a Mailman?

 

While I’m happily married now, and have been for almost 20 years, I fielded all sorts of unusual questions when I was a single pastor, and dating. One in particular sticks in my mind. “Do you think I’m an apostle?”

Do I think you’re an apostle? This was a first. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to answer this guy. To begin with, he was Catholic, and I didn’t think Catholics talked about apostles; it seemed like a word more connected to Pentecostals. Second, he was a mailman. It was the first time I had heard a regular person apply the word apostle to themselves.

The word apostle seems to be reserved for the select few, or as alter egos for the disciples. Or maybe as I said for Pentecostal leaders. But mail carriers? I wasn’t sure.

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Its usage begs the question: What’s the difference between an apostle and a disciple? And is the word apostle even still to be used?

Disciples and Apostles

The word disciple comes from the Latin discipulus. It means scholar. A disciple is a student who learns from a master teacher. The disciple’s primary focus is the teacher, and their primary job is to learn from those teachings. All so that the disciples can live out the “way” or the path of the teacher.

(Recall Jesus saying: I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”) John the Baptist had disciples, the Pharisees had disciples, and Jesus had disciples. Of all three, we know the most about Jesus’ disciples. His disciples traveled extensively with him to observe and absorb all they could about his life and ethos.

An apostle, however, is an altogether different animal. Even though the word apostle sounds similar to the word disciple, it hails from the Greek, apostolos meaning envoy. While disciples are students, apostles are agents. They don’t follow the master. They’re sent out by the master.

They’re delegates, commissioned to act on behalf of another.

The Twelve functioned first as disciples and second as apostles. According to Mark: 3:13-15, Jesus went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

The Twelve first learned from Jesus, then were sent out in his name. They were followed by many others who were also sent out in his name including Paul, Silas, Barnabas, and Junia.

In today’s language, we might say that disciples are followers and apostles are leaders. But there’s more to it than that.

Disciples and apostles have qualitatively different kinds of faith. Disciples have faith in Jesus while apostles have the faith of Jesus. Otherwise, there’s no way that apostles could do what Jesus did. And make no mistake—the apostles did.

Jesus first sent the 12 out, and later the 70, to do exactly what he did. Even while Jesus was alive, his apostles healed the sick, cast out demons, and preached the Kingdom. They had authority over unclean spirits. After Jesus ascends into heaven, Peter heals a paralyzed man. Paul and Silas sing in jail until the chains break. Mere shadows of the apostles cause people to heal.

faith of an apostle

Disciples have faith in Jesus. Apostles have the faith of Jesus. So what is the difference between the two?

Faith in Jesus

Faith in Jesus means trusting in his power, his love, his teachings, and his saving grace. This is the kind of faith we commonly teach in church—in songs and hymns, sermons and Bible studies, and children’s messages and youth curriculum. It is the focus of much teaching on salvation.

Faith of Jesus

Having the faith of Jesus takes things to a whole new level. It means trusting in what Jesus trusted in, abiding in a deep knowing that you are one with God and one with the Holy Spirit. Having the faith of Jesus means cultivating an unwavering trust in your life purpose, and entertaining a rock-solid knowledge that all things are possible. It means living with an ever-ready expectancy of miracles.

Most of all, it means living in constant communion with, and surrender to, God. In other words, having the faith of Jesus means operating in an elevated state of consciousness in which there is no separation between humanity and divinity, between us and God. This kind of faith is hinted at in church, but is often not emphasized, even though it is a big part of Jesus’ teachings (see for instance John 15). Is it any wonder that apostleship is so little known?

You may say: I’m a disciple; I can’t be an apostle. I challenge you to re-think that. You see, discipleship was always and only meant to be the first step in your relationship with Jesus. The end game was always apostleship. You’re called. Anointed. Appointed. Authorized. Accountable. You’re agents of the Kingdom.

If you’re ready to step into apostleship, then it’s time to pray the prayer of the apostles: “Lord, increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5). After all, if a small-town mailman can envision himself as an apostle, why not you?

By the way…back to that date some 21 years ago. After he asked me about apostleship, I had to question my own level of faith. After all, he was a mailman and I was a pastor. Where in the heck was my trust in God? Maybe this guy was an apostle. I prayed my own version of the apostle’s prayer: Lord, increase my faith, when the mailman eventually asked me another big question. This time on bended knee. With a ring. God showed me the right answer and I said yes.

When God speaks to you, what will your answer be to God?

Forty Days of Apostleship: Believe in Your Divine Partnership

Forty Days of Apostleship: Believe in Your Divine Partnership

by | Feb 27, 2020

As the United States slides toward authoritarianism, and the United Methodist Church slides toward schism, it’s easy to be resigned. What can I do, anyway, you might ask? Don’t “they” have all the power? How can I create a divine partnership?

I understand that the news looks that way. And there are even those who would have you believe this. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

As a Christian, you come from a long line of miracle-workers, healers of the sick, and banishers of demons. Your people proclaimed the Gospel of the Kin(g)dom of God since Jesus first walked the earth. So put away the notion that you have no say in how things go. You are a spiritual badass in the making.

After all, Jesus lived under similar conditions. However, one of his primary beliefs lifted him above the fray and activated his agency so that he might dare to make a difference. As you learn to believe like Jesus, this belief will start your agency as well.

The Forty Days of Apostleship is designed to guide you to step into your spiritual power by encouraging you to expand your beliefs from merely believing in Jesus to also believing like Jesus. This vital shift undergirds your evolution from practicing the disciple’s faith to developing the faith of an apostle. This faith expansion gives you access to new perspectives, which provides you with access to further actions.

Believe in Your Divine Partnership

Jesus’ Belief: Divine Partnership

Jesus believed that he operated in divine partnership with God. Jesus believed that he was one with God: “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) To those who doubted him, Jesus went on to say that this unity should be apparent through his many good works. I’m paraphrasing his words here, but he said—Look, even if you don’t believe my words, believe the pieces you’ve seen me do. You’ll then know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father. (John 10:38)

Jesus’ belief in divine partnership is manifested through both his words and his works. So, to begin to believe like Jesus, you’ll need to re-consider both your representations and your results as well.

Soul Work 

Here is the two-part process to take this soulful step of belief.

Words: First, personalize and put yourself into the scripture: “I and the Father are one.” For instance, “I, Rebekah, and the Father are one.” Meditate on, repeat, and reflect on the truth of these words. As you do, draw your awareness from your head to your heart. Your head—headquarters of fear and self-doubt—will probably want to talk you out of this. If so, turn to your heart—your local hub for God-consciousness and divine connection. Notice how your heart responds as you repeat these words.

Works:

  1. Second, consider the good works that you have already done.
  2. Include who you have prayed for, cared for, blessed, and contributed to.
  3. Include the projects you have undertaken, the leadership you have offered, and the behind-the-scenes know-how you have given.
  4. Make a list of these good works.
  5. Celebrate them.

I mean, celebrate them! Not for ego fulfillment but as a way of acknowledging your genuine partnership with God. Doing these good works could not have happened without a holy alliance between you and God.

Embrace the Belief

As you re-frame both your words and your works, there is one more step to begin to believe like Jesus. That is to fully embrace this Jesus-belief in divine partnership. For help with this, let’s turn to ancient wisdom.

The ancients have always understood that to be human is to house the Divine within, through the soul. More recent spiritual teachers have gently corrected this understanding: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience.” Whether the soul houses the body, or the body houses the soul, your soul is the spiritual counterpart to your physical being. Together, body and soul are the complete you.

Unity with God is more significant than what happens within your body or soul. As I note in Dream Like Jesus, “…if God is everywhere present, not a discrete being in the sky, but the quality of Being itself, that means that each of you is inside of God, and God is inside of each of you. You are surrounded by and saturated with Divine Power. Consider the vine and branches imagery in John 14:20. ‘I am in God, and God is in me, and you are in us. I am in you, and you are in me,’ Jesus says.”

Beliefs shape your thoughts; thoughts are the vessels of your actions, and actions demonstrate your beliefs. When you believe like Jesus, you will find that you can take new kinds of actions. Click To Tweet

Apostolic Action

Jesus taught the apostles of old how to do the things he did. And how to tap into the zone of the miraculous to do so. The apostles cast out demons, healed the sick and proclaimed the Kingdom. They had to believe as he did to accomplish these things.

Beliefs shape your thoughts; thoughts are the vessels of your actions, and actions demonstrate your beliefs. So, as you begin to believe like Jesus, you will find that you can take new kinds of actions.

As you grow in your belief in your partnership with the Divine, pay attention to new actions, the Spirit is prompting you to try. Again, preference the encouragements of your heart over the cautions of your head. For instance, what evil or injustice would you address? What kind of healing would you offer? What words of love or acts of hospitality would you risk?

Next, dare to put your emerging belief of divine partnership into action as we journey together during this Forty Days of Apostleship. Be sure to let me know how it goes!

Adapted from the forthcoming book, Believe Like Jesus © copyright 2020 Rebekah Simon-Peter