Author Profile
Randall Worley
Randall pastored a thriving congregation for 25 years and now as founder of Headwaters Ministries provides apostolic consultation to church leadership and teaches in churches and conferences on relevant kingdom issues. His cutting edge articles have been published in many of the leading Christian publications today. Randall's colleagues in ministry to mention a few include Rick Joyner, Bob Jones and Bill Johnson. He is a regular guest instructor in some of the nations leading schools of ministry preparing believers to impact the world with kingdom influence. As a life coach Randall works with individuals in the business community desiring to integrate kingdom principles in the marketplace. Randall and his wife Penny have three adult sons that are all uniquely involved in various aspects of lifestyle ministry
Website: www.randallworley.com
The Dilemma of Doubt - Randall Worley
I begin by warning you that joining me in entertaining the following thoughts is an invitation to walk on very thin ice. Conventional Christianity by and large has a very low tolerance for those who voice their doubts about the faith. Hence, most believers never give voice to their doubts for fear of being castigated and possibly ostracized by their Christian peers. I meet people all the time who sense that it is safe to talk to me off the record about their queries concerning generally accepted truths. Maybe it’s because they recognize in the tone of my teaching that I, too, have contemplated the same thoughts they have had and realized they are not closet heretics or God forbid an agnostic. Let’s face it, most of us would rather acquiesce than to run the risk of losing the acceptance of other “believers.” Therefore, the fear of pushing the envelope results in us suppressing our heartfelt questions because the church culture has made keeping the rules of paramount importance. The beat goes on and sincere people silently struggle with thoughts of “What if we are wrong about…?”; which is followed by a litany of questions. I know many authentic believers who have left the conventional church because they felt they were being required to mindlessly “drink the Kool-Aid.”
The definition of the word dogmatic is “a set of principles laid down by an authority as being incontrovertibly true.” It may sound like I am taking semantic liberties with the word dogma, but it has always been interesting to me that it contains the word dog which is really quite telling. Paul warned Christians to “Beware of the dogs.” His reference was to those with rigid religious mindsets that were intolerant of the “new ideas” introduced by the New Covenant. You’ve seen the signs before that are recognizable such as “No Trespassing or No Admittance.” “Beware of the Dogs” is a warning that an area is guarded by attack dogs. Religious spirits are like that; they snarl and bark anytime their beliefs are challenged. I was raised in an evangelical church and have a great appreciation for many of the fundamental truths that I received, but I also remember men who thundered from pulpits demanding unquestioned compliance to their interpretation of scripture. When they spoke of “The Faith” it really meant agree with me without question, but I had questions I knew if asked would cause them to challenge the legitimacy of my relationship with God. Therefore, for years I cowered under what was really a form of witchcraft. If you think I have been disrespectful or even irreverent then you need only to read that Paul said the same thing about them.
For 2,000 years, the brightest minds have sought to unravel the mysteries of life through the lenses of scripture and those who remain honest will admit that on some subjects the jury is still out. I love the word of God now more than anytime in my life, but is the bible the best God can do? I can already hear the cry “Crucify him!” for that statement. I still believe that the bible is the absolute authority on all matters, but I don’t believe we have even scratched the surface in understanding everything He said in it. A dear friend of mine puts it this way, “Its not Father, Son, and Holy Bible. It’s difficult to expect the same fruit as the early church when they value a book they didn’t have more than the Holy Spirit they did have.” Got doubts? Well, I believe doubt is often the barren womb in which genuine faith is conceived. If you don’t have questions then you have probably been living in religious denial. Jesus is not threatened by your doubt and He is not poised to reject you when you divulge your doubts. After all, when do you think He becomes aware of it? When you voice it? He loves you when you question His character, His intentions, even His existence. He doesn’t love you more when you’re sure than He does when you are unsure. Dogmatic expressions of Churchianity obsess over peripheral issues of what makes them more right than others, but truth that dispels doubt is found in the person not just on the pages of the bible.
Seismic Scriptures - Randall Worley
Once again, I want to thank the hundreds of people who have been reading my blog since the earthquake last week. This will probably be my last installment for awhile, addressing the parallels of the quake and what I feel I am hearing concerning it. I mentioned yesterday that every earthquake in scripture seemed to be a signal of some epoch shift in God’s purposes. There are at least 7 of them that are worthy of mention, but I am only going to reference one.
The first is the quake that occurred when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus had hung on the cross for 6 agonizing hours, dying the most merciless and barbaric type of death imaginable. It is worthy of note that many victims of crucifixion could cling to life for days. This fact makes it clear that Jesus did not die from the trauma of his wounds. He had said that no man could take His life, but that He would lay it down and pick it up again. This thought alone is far too much to unpack in this blog, other than to say He was not murdered. His life was not taken, He gave it. The moment He yielded Himself to death, an earthquake rumbled through Jerusalem creating unusual damage. The scripture says that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The veil was a curtain that partitioned the holiest of all places in the temple where the very presence of God dwelled. According to Rabbinic literature, it was 60 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and its thickness was the breadth of a mans hand. It took 300 priests to maneuver it into position. This veil had been a reminder for centuries that due to man’s depravity, God’s presence was inaccessible. The privilege of access was reserved only for the high priest and only one day a year. However, the death of Jesus released shock waves that included all those who had been excluded. The unworthiness that had haunted man for centuries causing us to withdraw from God was removed, inviting us to draw near. We have all been in buildings that have signs that say “authorized personnel only”, cautioning us that you are prohibited and limited in your access. There are no limits to our access to God.
The next effect of this earthquake was the rocks were broken open. The rocks could symbolize many things, but the first thing that comes to mind for me is they represent stones of accusation. Remember, there was a woman who had been caught in adultery. She was brought to Jesus by accusers armed with stones, demanding her death. The stones that cracked open by reason of seismic activity is evidence that Jesus took our judgement. No one has the right to judge us, not even we ourselves. The ground at the foot of the cross was littered with broken stones, the tokens of our exoneration. Maybe the landscape of your life is cluttered with the stony reminders of your soul’s infidelity. An earthquake of His mercy can and will disintegrate every stone of accusation.
Finally, this earthquake resulted in many of the Old Testament saints being raised from the dead. The Bible describes these faithful ones as those who had long awaited this moment to be released from the confinement of eternity’s waiting room. These men and women had received a glimpse of the coming liberator. The one who would once and for all satisfy the demands of the law. They emerged from their dusty graves with the realization that the promise they had clung to was now fulfilled. Is there a promise you were given that ignited hope for the future, but now seems buried beneath the passing of time? Brace yourself, an earthquake of hope may be rumbling beneath you at this very moment that will infuse you with resurrection life. No longer will you just exist from day to day, but eternal life will pulsate in every cell of your being.
-RW
Christ Church Aftershock - Randall Worley
I returned late Friday evening from Christ Church, New Zealand after being in my first earthquake and I am still processing the harrowing experience. This is a prequel to my last blog that describes the day of the quake. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all those who called and emailed in concern for my safety. I feel incredibly blessed to have been protected in the midst of this catastrophe, given the fact that just hours before the quake I was walking the streets where you have seen footage of complete devastation. I stood in front of the famed Christ Church Cathedral the night before that now lays in ruins. The laptop I am writing this blog on will be a continual reminder of the quake. It was laying on my bed in the Bed and Breakfast where I was staying and plaster from the ceiling fell denting the case. I arrived there last Monday and was driven for sightseeing to the top of a mountain range that separates Christ Church and Lyttelton Harbour, the epicenter of last weeks 6.3 quake. Driving up the winding mountain road through hairpin turns I witnessed majestic vistas and rugged landscape dotted with sheep. The population of New Zealand is only 4 million and there are over 40 million sheep that inhabit the two islands. I have wondered since then about the plight of those living there as well as the sheep. Lyttleton Harbour is a sea filled crater of a volcano that erupted an estimated 11 million years ago. Once we reached the top, I was able to look down on one side of the range and see Christ Church. On the other side, the Harbour where the earthquake was poised to unleash its fury.
The earthquake and scores of subsequent aftershocks are still fresh in my memory. I have been pondering a number of things about my experience. I knew before arriving that the trip had some significance for me personally, given that it was my first trip to an area known as the uttermost parts of the world. Jesus said to His disciples they would be “witnesses from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the world.” When the ground began to shake beneath me, I began to wonder if my being there was of particular significance to me. I realize that what follows I write at the risk of being misunderstood. Coincidence is a word that it is commonly used to describe random events in our lives that have no rhyme or reason. However, a coincidence is also a geometric term that describes how two lines perfectly converge. I know there are some exceptions, but I think we all are living in a time when eternity is converging with time defining our destinies. This year I will travel to 5 continents. What are the odds that my schedule had me in New Zealand on the exact day the earthquake would occur? I am sure you can see why I can’t dismiss this convergence. Again, I don’t want to over think this but I have to connect the dots somehow.
I want to make it very clear that I don’t subscribe to the idea that this earthquake was God’s judgment. Earthquakes occur for many reasons. Many of the upheavals in nature called “Acts of God” are simply the result of man’s fall. Whenever these events take place, my grid is to interpret there implications from scripture. There are several earthquakes mentioned in the bible, all of which signal epoch changes in God’s purposes. In layman’s terms, fault lines are created by the shifting of tectonic plates in the earth’s crust. It has always been interesting to me that they are called “fault lines.” These fault lines are not only beneath our feet but deep in the core of our own character. It is true that crisis does not create character but reveals it. Hebrews 12:26-28 says that when God speaks He shakes the earth to the degree that everything is shaken so that only those things that cannot be shaken will remain. The voice of the Lord in my life is shaking my foundations, revealing what I really trust in. There are fault lines in all of us that we are unconscious of until He speaks with resounding revelation. Last week a place called Christ Church shook, but a people called the church are also shaking all over the world. Fault lines of fear and unbelief are creating fissures in those who are not built on the unshakable foundation of Christ. The earthquake lasted about 40 seconds. Until that moment, is was business as usual but after those few seconds everything changed. The staples of food, water, and fuel that are often taken for granted were instantly interrupted. People who were ordinarily indifferent to the needs of others flooded into the streets clinging to one another for solace.
For me the experience of being at ground zero when the quake came was a wake up call to the fragility of life and a reminder of what is important. Now, more than ever before, the lyrics of a old hymn have renewed meaning. “On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand.” The kingdoms of the earth will continue to shake and we have no other option than to draw near to Him and to one another as we embrace His unshakable kingdom built on righteousness, peace, and joy.
Tomorrow I will examine a few of the epoch earthquakes in scripture that resonate with relevance for these times of uncertainty. I encourage you to follow the updates from Christ Church by visiting the following site. www.weheartchristchurch.com
Christ Church Earthquake - Randall Worley
I arrived yesterday in one of the most beautiful cities I have ever had the privilege of visiting in over 30 years of travel. Jason Westerfield, who is hosting the meetings, picked me up at the airport and took me to my accommodations just blocks away from the center of the city of Christchurch. After settling in, he and his wife Jessica came to take me to dinner. We walked through the city, that is known as the garden city of the world, to the restaurant. The landscape is blanketed with flowers, the streets are immaculate, and there was indescribable peace everywhere. The name Christchurch, which bears more historical significance than I can unpack in this blog, was ubiquitous.
I woke up this morning with anticipation of the Pastors and Leaders luncheon that I was to speak at Northcity Church. Jason had asked the night before if I had ever been in an earthquake. I told him I had felt some very slight tremors in California years ago, but that was the extent of my experience. Little did I know, an earthquake that would be more powerful than the Haitian quake and the one that hit here back in September was imminent. Jason, who is a proven seer, later told me the Lord had shown him the day before that a quake measuring over 6 on the Richter scale was coming. Lunch had been completed and as Jason was up introducing me, the floor and walls of the church dining hall began to convulse. To my surprise, when it subsided Jason and Pastor Donald Scott wanted to go on with the meeting. When I was introduced, I made a couple of comments about the significance of earthquakes in scripture and an aftershock sent the building reeling again. At this point, I want to say that the fortitude of the New Zealanders to continue after another shaking was absolutely astonishing. We completed the meeting and they announced that the evening meeting would go on as scheduled.
Northcity Church is located a few miles outside of the city. I needed to go back to my accommodations, which was a bed and breakfast, to get my luggage and computer. Jason, his assistant who is a 6? 5? New Zealand rugby player and I got in the car to get my things with no idea if we would even be allowed back into the city. The reports we were getting was that the down area where I was staying was hit the hardest. As we started toward the city the traffic evacuating was bumper to bumper. We decided after awhile to park the car and walk in. All along the way we were passing people walking who had the look of sheer terror on their faces. There were fissures in the pavement and sidewalks with what they call liquification bubbling up out the ground. It is water mingled with a gray colored mud. Some of the cars were up to the chassis. When we finally arrived at the Bed and Breakfast, we discovered it had been severely damaged. The owners were standing outside in shock and called out my name. They told me that I could under no circumstances go in to retrieve my belongings. The wall of the building opposite of my bedroom had totally collapsed. I asked the owner if she was forbidding me to go in or if she was saying if I did it was at my own risk. She was concerned that the stairwell had collapsed. She finally conceded. I walked through this murky ooze that was a few inches thick and through the front door, that was hanging on one hinge, with a blaring alarm ringing in my ears. I quickly went to the stairwell that led to my second floor room and was relieved it had not collapsed, but with trepidation I wondered if it would support my weight. When I reached the top of the steps, I made my way to my room which was at the back of the house. When I entered the room, I hastily threw my things into my suitcase trembling like a leaf in the wind and saying “Jesus, Jesus” over and over. Lugging my stuff down the stairs, I was still deeply concerned if the stairs would give way or if there might be another aftershock that would collapse the building. When I emerged from the building there was a moment of levity when the 6? 5? rugby player came to the stoop of the building, grabbed my bag, turned his back to me and said “Hop on”. I looked at him with disbelief and declined because I weigh 235. He insisted and said he routinely carries injured players off the field who weigh more than me. Reluctantly I jumped on his back, which was quite a sight I might add, and he carried me on to dry ground.
All along the way, Jason and his team members were stopping to pray with people. He even encountered the former Prime Minister and other government officials and prayed with them. When we returned to the house occupied by interns working here with Jason, they immediately began praying and making plans on how they could assist those who had been devastated by the quake. Jason dispatched his team into the neighborhood that had not been affected directly by the quake and within twenty minutes, they had gathered carloads of blankets, food, water and flashlights. From there we went on to the evening meeting. Jason and his team went into the city to distribute supplies and Pastor Scott, who has in just the last few hours become a friend to me, insisted I share with those who had gathered. I listened intently to their prayers and heard a level of intercession that I have never experienced before. Following the prayer time, I insisted that I felt inadequate to speak to them in the wake of such a catastrophic event. Pastor Scott appealed to me to share and I did with reservation. All through the day we have had aftershocks that by now are too many to count. I am lying in bed writing this and my room still rumbles every few minutes.
I am safe and secure in the arms of the Father and I believe that the worst is over. The meetings are still on for tomorrow. I am flying home on Friday and it will take some time for me to fully process this surreal experience. Thank you to all that are praying for us.
Desperation - Dr Randall Worley
A few years ago I read a story about a young man that was in pursuit of the keys to success. It had an indelible effect on me and revealed more to me than the desire for success. It seems he had questioned many that he admired and remained unsatisfied. One day while walking along a lake he saw a man that he had heard of but never met. This man had a legendary reputation for being a sage among his colleagues. He approached the old gentleman with respect and timidity hoping that he would engage in dialogue with him on his vast reservoir of wisdom. He introduced himself and knew that his question would need to be succinct. His question was simply in all you have learned over your in your entire life time "What is the single most important thing to becoming a success?" Without hesitation the old man said follow me and he lead him toward the lake. They walked to the edge of the lake and the man stepped in to the water continuing to wade in until they were both chest deep. The young man was bewildered wondering if the wise man had become senile. At that moment without uttering a word he placed his hand on his head and pushed him under for what seemed to be a couple of minutes. The young man was thrashing trying to get free thinking now that he was more a lunatic than a sage. Just when he thought he might drown he released him and allowed him to surface. Gasping for air his impulse was to escape as quickly as possible but before he could he was pushed under again. Three times he was submerged starved for oxygen. After the third time the old man finally spoke and said "When you want success like you wanted that last breath of air you will have it." And then he turned and waded back to the bank and walked away.
Like the young man we can relate to the drowning feeling of these desperate times we live in. The oppression and depression in the atmosphere around us suffocates the very breath of God in us. When we want the presence of God like the very air we breathe we will find it. It has been my experience over the years that I have been desperate to know what God knows about my life without really knowing Him. My groaning appeal to Him was to come into my circumstance. When I became desperate I realized that He wanted me to come into His glory. His presence has always changed my perspective. No amount of perspiration on our part or vicarious inspiration from someone else can accomplish what happens when you get desperate.
Subscribe to our newsfeed
