Foundational Podcast

What our culture needs right now is men and women of God who are going to make up the kind of woke church that God talked about in Isaiah 51:9.

Are you bold enough and strong enough to take on this challenge?

In today's podcast I talk about what a biblically woke Christian and church looks like.

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About Dean

Dr. F. Dean Hackett has served in full-time Christian ministry since October 1971. He has ministered throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, serving as pastor, conference speaker and mentor. He has planted four churches, assisted in planting 15 others and currently serves as lead pastor of Living Faith Church in Hermiston, Oregon. Dr. Hackett founded Spirit Life Ministries International in 2001 to facilitate ministries in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina and to open a training center for workers in those nations.

The significance of immanence and imminence to the child of God is not just a play on words.

The revelation of God and His redemptive work is carried in the meaning of these two words immanence and imminence, and their companion eminence.

I am appalled and grieved by the level of distortion of God’s nature and character and the resulting syncretism that has crept into Christian theology.

Pantheism, Spiritism and Gnosticism have found their way into much of the preaching and teaching in Evangelical and Pentecostal circles.

I was saddened recently at a Christian event when they played a song about the “circle of life;” a doctrine that comes directly out of the Buddhist religion.

Immanence is the declaration of God’s omniscience and omnipresence. He is the creator and sustainer of all that exists.

“He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Reconciled in Christ for it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20 NKJV).

This reveals the transcendence of God. He is not “in” all things but He is the creator of all things and He sustains all things by the power of His Word (Hebrews 1:1-4). He is eternal, everlasting to everlasting.

He has no mother no father.

He has no beginning or ending of days.

He exists outside of time and space which He created for mankind but He exists separate from it.

His immanence affirms His promised presence at every moment in our life. He said:

God is inviting you to join with Him on a journey.

It is a journey you probably have never taken. Because of that, there will be times it seems strange – and you may even have thoughts like, “I don’t want to do this.”

But, this is how God described the outcome of the journey to His prophet Isaiah.

“For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace: The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: And it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (Isaiah 55:12-13).

Almighty God is saying your daily life will be filled with joy and you will live daily with a peaceful mind and emotions, regardless of the circumstances surrounding you.

Instead of your days being filled with regret, drama, condemnation, anxiety, fear or worry there will be singing and clapping; celebrating the goodness of God and His bountiful blessings in your life.

The power of the curse will be removed.

• The curse brought thorns and thistles to the earth.
• The curse that brought pain and conflict into the human experience.
• The curse that is passed from generation to generation is purged from your life and your generations.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse, having been made a curse for us; for it is written cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13-14).

God declared your life will be solid and stable like a fir tree and your life will be a source of healing and comfort to others as the oil is from a  myrtle tree.

You will be linked to the name of God in covenant as an everlasting sign.

Can you see that the blessings of this journey far outweigh any personal sacrifice or cost that may be required for your life?

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For w

He had been carried everywhere from the time he was a baby.

The only career he had was being a street beggar. He was forty years old and most of his adult life had been spent sitting on one of the main highways into the city.

All of that changed in a moment.

Two believers in Jesus came by his panhandling location one afternoon. He spoke to them earnestly hoping they would put some money in his cup.

“I don’t have any cash today,” one of them said, “But what I do have I will gladly give to you. In the name of Jesus rise up and walk.”

The believer took the man’s right hand and pulled him to his feet. For the first time in his life the man walked.

It was amazing!

The man walked around. Then he ran. He walked some more and then he began to jump. All the time he was doing this, he was praising God for healing him.

A large crowd gathered around them, as the man continued to walk, run and jump praising God.

The people were excited and began praising the two Jesus-believers who were obviously from up north.

As the crowd continued to grow, the big guy began to speak to crowd in his northern accent. "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk…By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see” (Acts 3:12, 16 NIV).

Many of the people in the crowd believed and also become followers of Jesus.

The religious and the political leaders were not happy, however. They arrested Peter and John, threatened them and commanded them to never speak or work in the name of Jesus Christ again.

Peter and John conferred with the leaders of the church and developed a new ministry model.

They rewrote their literature and adopted a ministry style that was more inclusive and inviting. They contextualized their sermons to the culture, seeking to be more tolerant of those with a different lifestyle and religious belief, they modified their rhetoric.

Oh, wait!

That is 21st century weste

We don’t have to convince God to send revival.

He is already convinced of the desperate need and greatly desires to send a spiritual awakening. We cannot earn His visitation through hours of prayer or self-sacrifice.

The whole point of waiting on God is not to move the hand of God but proper alignment of our heart with the heart of God.

The reason it is often overlooked or resisted is the intense battle it brings with self.

I battle with thoughts plaguing my mind and with the inner drive to go do something in gaining the ground to “wait” on God.

What will my secretary and deacons think if they see me neglecting work that needs to be done in order to spend more time in prayer?

There are people who need to be called.
Tasks are just sitting.
E-mails need to be sent.

Will this really make a difference?

I have searched the Scriptures time and again only to discover and to reaffirm waiting on the Lord is an important component of leadership discipline.

When King David received word the Philistine army was planning an attack on Israel, the first thing he did was go to the Cave of Adullam and wait on the Lord until he received specific instructions for dealing with the enemy.

In fact, careful reading will reveal that is exactly how King David handled every battle with the enemy.

He would wait on God for the instructions from On High. Then He would lead the army of Israel into battle. King David developed the personal discipline of “waiting” on the Lord and then wrote these instructions to leaders.

“Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (Psalms 25:3-5 NKJV).

“One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the

"[First century] Church leaders unhitched the church from the worldview, value system, and regulations of the Jewish scriptures...Peter, James, Paul elected to unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish scriptures, and my friends, we must as well."

This is a quote from Andy Stanley's third message in his Aftermath series.

But is it true?

Do we need our faith unhitched from the Old Testament?

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, He met two of the disciples that were traveling from Jerusalem to the community of Emmaus.

The two men were talking among themselves about the events of the last three days, when Jesus joined them on the road.

He inquired about their conversation and asked what events they were discussing.

They tried explaining, at the same time marveling that He seemed to be unaware of these things that had so greatly impacted the city.

Jesus responded to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:25-26 NKJV).

He continued to instruct them, “Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27 NKJV).

This was a familiar way Jesus taught.

In the Sermon on the Mount, He affirmed His total reliance upon the Holy Scriptures. They were the Old Testament at that time.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19 NKJV).

He refers six times in Matthew 5 to the Holy Scriptures (5:21, 5:27, 5:31, 5:33, 5:38, 5:43).

The huge crowds that followed Him were astonished at His teaching because He taught with an authority unlike anything they had heard.

It was not just with the religious people He used the Holy Scripture.

Speaking to the crowd about the faith of the Centurion He referred to Genesis chapter 12 and Isaiah chapter 2. When the disciples asked about the last days Jesus referred to Daniel chapter 9.

He freely used the Word of God, as well as parables, and daily life experiences when teaching a Pharisee, speaking to His close disciples, addressing the crowds of sinners, or a Roman officer.

The Apostles used the same technique in their teaching and writing.

The Apostle Peter quoted from Joel 2 when addressing the thousands of people gathered on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

Stephen quoted from the life of Abraham and to Joseph in the Book of Genesis when addressing the High Priest and the Sanhedrin. He also referred to Moses and the Book of Exodus.

The Apostle Peter taught about the life of Jesus making reference to the Old Testament prophets when he preached to the Gentiles at the home of the Roman soldier Cornelius.

The Apostle Paul spoke with the leading philosophers in Athens quoting from their classical writers and making reference to Genesis, Deuteronomy, Psalms and Isaiah.

The Apostolic le

Pray without ceasing." ~1 Thessalonians 5:17~

People used to pray.

I mean seriously and fervently pray for revival when special meetings were scheduled at church.

Recently I read an amazing chapter in “To China and Back” by Anthony Bollback, titled “God Moves In.”

In this chapter a new church had recently been established in 1943 by Anthony, in Coudersport, Pennsylvania and revival meetings were being held.

The meetings lasted two weeks and after the first week, nothing special had happened.

Today, we might be too busy to attend revival meetings, let alone pray! We neglect to pray for special meetings because we are a generation too busy to pray for revival.

• TV
• Movies
• Social media
• Texting
• Games

Other empty pursuits that pull on our soul to the point that we cannot give them up?

None of these things are wrong, in and of themselves, as we are able to keep up with the goings on of relatives, friends, and use these avenues for ministry.

But we find that we often can't do anything without our phone and our Facebook connections, and the time spent scrolling down through our feed for the umpte

The nation of Israel was at a critical point.

The economy was in a down turn suffering from years of drought.
National leadership was corrupt.
The moral compass was distorted by a cloudy spiritual climate of syncretic worship of the true God with the worship of Astarte and Baal.

Into this backslidden nation God sent one of His greatest prophets.

Seemingly out of nowhere, came Elijah the Tishbite, thundering the call of God, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.”

Israel had come to the decision point.

Is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the true God, then serve Him. If Baal is God, serve him. Duplicity can no longer be tolerated.

The challenge took place on Mount Carmel. Elijah called all the people of Israel and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to meet him.

The challenge was quite simple, actually.

The prophets of Baal were to build an altar and offer a sacrifice to their god and Elijah would build and altar and offer a sacrifice to Jehovah.

No fire was to be placed under the altar. Each would pray to their deity and the one who answered by fire would be the true living God.

Elijah encouraged the prophets of Baal to go first.

They sang, danced and mutilated themselves before their god for hours.  No answer came. Elijah mocked them.

“May be he is asleep. You should sing with more passion. Maybe he has taken a trip, call out louder. Maybe he has fallen asleep.”

No amount of singing, dancing, and blood-letting appeased their deity and no fire came.

Elijah rebuilt the altar of El Shaddai that had been neglected and decayed. He placed the sacrifice on the altar and dug a deep trench around it. They soaked the sacrifice and the altar with four barrels of water three times.

At the time appointed for the evening sacrifice, Elijah cried out to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

“Let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word.”

Immediately, Almighty God answered by consuming the water, the sacrifice and the altar with His holy fire.

What is it that makes America great and unique among the nations of the earth?

“They cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying good foundations, or at least of making some way towards it, for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remotes part of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work."  (William Bradford, The Plymouth Settlement, Mantle Ministries, San Antonio, 1988, 21).

The Founding Fathers of the United States firmly believed God had called them to establish a colony in the Americas to be a light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; a new Israel, as it were.

Upon preparing to disembark from the Mayflower onto the shores at Plymouth Rock these hearty souls entered into a covenant with Almighty God.

“In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign lord, Kingdom James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith, etc.,having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation an d the furtherance of the ends aforesaid and by virtue, hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws ordinances acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general use of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

In witness whereof we have here underscribed our names at Cape Cod, 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. A.D. 1620” (Bradford, The Plymouth Settlement, 75-76).

Notice they were establishing a body politic and government structure “In the Name of God" and with the express purpose “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith.”

It could not be clearer.

Patrick Henry, leader in the American Revolution, Commander-in-Chief of the Virginia Militia, member of the Continental Congress, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and House of Burgesses; offered the positions of Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by George Washington, but he declined, knew very well t

What are the ways the church influences a city? What are some practical steps she can take to affect a city for Jesus Christ and defend her from the assault of the enemy?

These are the questions every church should be asking, because God designed the church to be an influence in her community as the salt and light of the world.

Jesus was making the journey from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane. He made this a teaching opportunity.
“… I am the way the truth and the life… Most assuredly, I say unto you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father.”

Did you catch that?

“The works that I do, he will do also.” And… “and greater works than these he will do…”

Are you kidding me?

Who is Jesus talking about? “He who believes in Me…”

Jesus is talking about the redeemed sons and daughters of God.Those who have been born again will do the same works Jesus did. How is that possible?

Jesus said, “And whatever you ask in my Name, that will I do that the Father maybe glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name I will do it” (John 14:13-14 NKJV). 

Jesus, the Last Adam, restored the covenant God originally made with mankind.

All those who have been redeemed are to be the stewards of God’s creation, extending the Kingdom of God throughout the earth and displacing the rulers of the darkness of this world.

We are to do the works Jesus did.“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 NKJV).

Jesus said, “…on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19 NKJV). 

The authority of the Kingdom has been restored to the redeemed son and daughters. Mankind is no longer at the mercy of the principalities and powers of the rulers of darkness.

The church is the first line of defense for every home; every neighborhood; every city; every region; every nation.

When the church will rise and proclaim, “