Election 08: I am concerned (edited repost)

In my younger years (not that I’m old or anything), my stance on politics was, “those are dumb, why do people care so much and get so worked up about it?”.

Over the years, I’ve grown to have SOME interest in things. My basic view starts with this overarching principle: Jesus is King, and He’s coming to reign on the earth. Soon.

Until that day, however, I find this Scripture to be most compelling:
from Psalm 2: 10 Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11 Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Submit to God’s royal Son, or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—
for his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

You see, today, I am concerned. I am concerned that the majority of people in our nation — and particularly young people — are looking for one thing: change (and who would deny that we need it?). But, I fear that we are far too easily moved by the stirring words or appealing ideas that candidates may put forth. We are judging from the outward appearace.

God looks on the heart.
Not the slogans, the commercials, the bumper stickers, the well-penned speaches..
the HEART.

I can’t see the heart of either of these candidates. But, God can. I encourage you to PRAY. Ask God to reveal the hearts of the candidates. And, ask Him what is important on His heart.  They all seem to claim some Christian “faith”, but again — who knows, but God? 

Would Jesus vote republican or democrat?  He cannot be contained.  He just IS.  I vote Jesus for King of the Nations.  Wait, He already IS King — and there’s not democratic process involved! 

Don’t let the seeming attractiveness of one candidate or another sway you — or the progressiveness of their particular choices. Bottom line is this: If our leaders do not submit to the Son of God, He will become angry, and they may be destroyed in the midst of their all of their good intentions (see verse 12 above). We ALL need to bow down and Kiss the Son.

What America needs is MERCY, not just CHANGE.

If we want a man to lead us, He will give us a man to lead us — and we will reap accordingly (see the story of Israel when they clamored for a king, and God gave them what they wanted – Saul).

Don’t get me wrong.  I think it would be cool to have the first African-American president.  I think it would be sweet to have a woman in the White House.  But our issues as a nation go way deeper than this.  The fact that we are on the verge of calamity on every front is not something that politics can bring (lasting) change to.

If we desire to find TRUE peace, comfort, security, it will only come as we humble ourselves before the Throne of Grace and ask for mercy. We desperately need MERCY.

If all we ask for is change, we will get it…. but we may be very surprised with how it really looks when it comes.

We need God’s mercy. 

If we could agree and “vote” (i.e. PRAY) for that — we would see the change we need. . . and it wouldn’t really matter what human was in the Oval Office.    

 

let’s eat!

[this is a recap of what would have been my message on Sunday, IF I had preached.  God had other plans... He is so fun!]

I don’t know about you, but I LIKE to eat!  If I’m not making a decision to fast, I normally do not miss a meal, or any snack, or any sweet treat that comes my way… .  I assume that most people would agree — too eat, is good.  People who refuse to eat are said to have an eating disorder, right?  It’s a DISorder, because it’s out of order.. it’s NOT RIGHT!  Well, I think many times, we have a spiritual eating disorder.  We are content to live our lives without “eating” spiritual food for days, weeks, months at a time!!

What spiritual food am I referring to?  HEARING GOD, hearing the voice of Jesus.  “I thought the Word was our ‘meat’”, you may say.  And you are correct.  But what about BREAD?  Did you ever consider this? 

“Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4).

“Give us this day our DAILY bread!”  (Matthew 6:11)

Jesus also said, “I only do what I see the Father doing and say what I hear the Father saying”, and “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me” — that would be to HEAR/SEE, and then do it, right?

 

If we are truly followers of Christ, it is our very identity to hear Him and know his voice (John 10:27).  It’s not an option, nor is it just for the “special”/annointed ones. 

 

It’s by HEARing the word of God that we gain more faith — and this is not just the written word, but the words that God is speaking by His Spirit (Romans 10:17).  And, without FAITH, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  I would say that this means we MUST hear His voice. 

 

So, why don’t we?

 

I feel that a huge part of the problem is a TRUST issue. 

We do not TRUST the Lord as we should.  We lean all to often on our own understanding, and our way.  We fear the unknown and “missing” Him… and getting hurt, disappointed, discouraged. 

 

But, how can we live in friendship with God this way?  Is there any relationship of any depth without TRUST at the center?  Jesus calls us to be His friends, because HE is willing to share with us everything that is His! (see John 15:15)  Talk about TRUST! 

 

If the very Son of God is willing to entrust us with Himself, and all that He has . . . why would we withhold ourselves and distrust Him?  He’s already put Himself on the line for us! 

 

But, our lack of trust, or our fear of hurt (same thing) keep us from entering into this deep level of friendship that He DESIRES for us!  And so, what happens?

 

We don’t hear God because, we put up all the reasons why we feel we “shouldn’t”, because at the core, we’re afraid and we don’t trust Him.

 

LISTEN!  HE IS GOOD!  ALL THAT HE IS, ALL THAT HE DOES, ALL THAT HE SAYS IS FOR YOUR VERY BEST!  (see John 10:10). 

 

And, to not “eat” means that we will be come weak and sick.. and eventually die.

 

This is a life or death matter.  Let us put away our fears and fully trust the One who is ultimately the Most TrustWorthy.  Let us put our lives (and deaths) fully in His hand, lean into him with no other props (Proverbs 3:5-6), fall completely into Him — and see what He will do!

 

Hear Him speaking to you right now, and LET’S EAT!

  

 

the (C)hurch. . . part 3

If you’re new, please check out post #1 and post #2 in this series.  And for those who have been following along, make sure you read all the comments on the previous two, there’s some GREAT insights that are still being added. . . .I’m not sure why post #2 in this series did not get the quick and fervent response of the first, but I know there are many of you following along, and there’s so much to talk about, I must press on. . .

Again, the challenge here is staying focused.  Even I am getting so many thoughts that it’s hard to not go a million places. 

But, I see two things floating to the surface of the discussion so far, which I will label as

1. Form

2.  Encounter

 Let me explore these a little.  (And, mind you there is A LOT to be said in these areas, but I’ll let YOU flesh things out more.) 

Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations…” (Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46, quoting Isaiah 56:7).  This is a staggering and meaning-packed statement.  I want to look at it specifically in terms of “Form” and “Encounter”.

 Let me first define what I mean by these terms. 

Form:  The specific place, structure, and order of how we “do church” in a corporate way. 
Encounter:  Meeting with God, experiencing relationship with Him.   

There’s always been much debate (and heated) about how we ‘do’ church, and “I don’t like institutional religion” has been a mantra of many for years, in essense disliking the form of church (we’ll stick with Christianity/Christ-followers in this discussion) that they have seen, but not discounting the validity of having a true encounter with God, outside of the structure. 

I believe the words of Jesus above speak to this issue.  I’ll hit at the issues in no particluar order, and let you draw your own conclusions (and make comments). 

At first blush, it might seem that Jesus was NOT a big fan of “institutional religion” either, and that the point of his clearing of the Temple (see Luke 19) was that He was the answer, buildings and liturgies were not.  While that IS true, there are some other factors to consider:

Jesus didn’t like the current religious system because it was void of encounter and people weren’t really meeting with God, they were going through motions that had become routine, and had no meaning to the hearts of the people.  But, He didn’t say, “this is all bad, this building is bad!  I hate it all! Go home and have home group – get rid of this institution . . . . “

 In the Temple was, in fact, the system (animal sacrifice) that He would replace, but this “system” was instituted by God himself (!) and God Himself CHOSE to dwell with His very presence in that place!!  This alone tells us that form, function and buildings are not the problem, and perhaps even helpful.  If God is not intimdated or offended to dwell in these things, we should not discount their possible benefit, either.   

What Jesus was zealous for was that He wanted to make access for ALL people to come freely into his presence (i.e. “encounter”= prayer).  His desire was that ALL people (not just Jews) could experience TRUE intimacy with God, and REAL freedom from guilt and sin.  When He says that his house had been made a “den of robbers”, He is railing against the fact that some of the leaders were exploiting poeple’s desire for God for their own gain ($), robbing people of a true encounter with living God which WAS possible, even under that old system! 

 So, is God against form/liturgy, etc?  Shouldn’t we just be “free” and ”follow the Spirit”?  Yes and no (I think); or no and yes.  As I said before, God Himself had instituted the “form” of  worship that was being used; and apparently He liked dwelling in the Temple (not that it was the only place He dwelt — He cannot be contained in a building).  Jesus Himself even gave us a “ceremony” in the form of communion.  Therefore, ”ceremony” can’t be all bad.       

Even those who would claim to be “free”, many times have their own form to their worship.  Eventually, we all grow comfortable with certain styles and practices and language.  It’s dangerous to point fingers at one group and call them “religious” (in the negative, Pharisaical sense) because they have more of a strict “form” of worship, and believe that you are truly “free”.  Just because your form of worship is not as structured, it doesn’t really mean that you’re void of form.  I would say there is still a form, though it is may be less formal.   

True encounter with God is not detemined by form or lack thereof.  Jesus’ burst of emotion was this – He was after their heart!!  Whose fault is it if the heart is not engaged??  Mine, and Yours!!  We get to decide if we will truly engage our hearts with God, whatever situation we find ourselves in.  When we view our worship/relationship with God simply as a bargaining table – if I do this, God will answer me/be pleased with me — we’re replaying the Temple scene.  When we press beyond making a transaction with God to knowing Him and meeting with Him as a Person, we fulfill the desire of His heart.  Form can help or hinder, and individual personalities and backgrounds will play a part in what we like and what we feel helps us in our pursuit of Him, but it is dangerous to ever point a judgmental finger too quickly.  Ultimately, the goal is what He likes and what pleases Him, and I don’t think He’s as picky about what music style, meeting location, bible translation etc. that we choose.      

 Leaders play a part, too.  If they reduce things simply to a practice and don’t encourage people to the place of true encounter, they can become the “robbers” who hinder people from meeting God!  Now, it’s not entirely their fault, but there is a weightiness to the responsibility of a leader.  A good leader will seek to lead people to meet and know the Person of Jesus Christ, not just fulfill religious duty. 

Any relationship can become empty if the heart is not engaged.  The outward activity is not necessarily the helper or the hindrance, it can be both! Think of a marriage.  Two couples can both do all the same things – one couple could be trully engaged at the heart level while the other is completely distant and cold.  They both go out and share their day over a nice dinner.  One couple really cares, the other is just going through motions.  How do you judge?  How can you predict which is which?  It’s truly an intangible reality, isn’t it? 

Remember, Jesus was able to step into the synagogue, teach with power and authority, bring a breakthrough,  do miracles, etc… EVEN under the roof of those “religious spirits”! 

 Okay, questions for you:

1.  What do you find are essential elements (if any) for facilitating encounter with God in how we “do church”?  What do you enjoy, and what do you find to be a hindrance?

2.  If you could structure a meeting/service what would it look like?

3.  If you think any of the points I made above are wrong, present your view.   

 

where is the church going in the 21st century?

Ok.  So, that’s a pretty diplomatic title for the series of discussions (aka “can of worms”) I hope to open up in the next few weeks.  I hope that you will join me and throw in your input.  To put it in more bluntly, one might ask:

“Is the church broken?”

I have heard some say that it is.  At first blush, I might want to agree.  But, I just can’t.  Not because I’m convinced that church as we know it is find and dandy, but, because of something that happened about a year ago…

I was in prayer — at our church, as a matter of fact — praying for the church, at length.  And, suddenly I had to stop, as I felt the the voice of Jesus, with such tenderness, yet with great strength say to my heart:

“My Church is not broken.  It’s under construction.  Won’t you help me build it?”

It was disarming to say the least.  A total paradigm shift in my thinking and my attitude.  Sure, things are not all good and well in the Western church — but Someone is very interested in us, and has intention to bring us into the fullness of His plan.  Not only that, He’s looking for those who will help Him. 

I guess that’s kind of where this discussion comes in.  I’ve been pondering, praying –whatever you want to call it — about the state of “church” for a while.  And, I’m not sure I have any solid answers.  I’m not just talking about the particular church that I’m a leader in.  I’m talking about ALL of us, at least in the western world (those in the East seem to have something good that we don’t — but, that’s another topic). 

Many of you have been invited into this exploration.  Thanks for reading this far!  Please stay with me!  Here’s what I’m hoping we can do:  I want to ask some questions, pose some ideas, share some of my opinions (they may not all be right!), and then ask for YOUR feedback.  I am by no means writing this thinking that I have all the answers!  I’m looking for some people who are willing to throw in their two cents and honestly wrestle with things with me.  Can we do that?  I only ask that we try to stay constructive and not do too much blaming.  But, by all means, BE HONEST.  I’m planning to post a couple of times a week.  So, all I need from you is about 10-15 minutes to read, digest, and post your thoughts.  I’m really pumped about this!  But, if I can’t get a good number of you to join in, it will be a bust. 

 So… my first thoughts to ponder and questions:

In this discussion of “what’s wrong with church”, there are usually two sides of the conversation.  On one side are many well-meaning church leaders trying to figure out why all of their hard work seems to be producing so little.  On the other side are the church-goers (for lack of a better term) who faithfully attend and who talk vigorously amonst themselves about what is good, bad, or could use improvement.  Unfortuntatlely, these two camps hardly talk to each other about these things.  The leaders look to the latest church growth method, or to the church where the Spirit seems to be moving, or to the church down the road that seems to be “working right” – all in search of the answer that will “fix” things.  The faithful begin to look for a church that feel will better “feed them”, where they “fit in better” or where they feel it’s being “done right”.  Even more unfortunate is that in each group, there can be a tendency to criticize and place blame on the others for all the problems (“If only the people would do more….”; “If only the leaders would be more . . .” etc.).  We all have the solution (or, so we think), and believe that if “they” (the other group) will get their act together, the problem will be solved.   

I don’t know if we’ll truly solve all the problems or change the world in this discussion, but, who knows, what if we can?   At least maybe our eyes will be opened a bit more by seeing from one anothers’ perspectives.  And, maybe can we move towards productive, constructive change.   I will admit there are some churches/ministries out there that seem to be doing very well, but, by and large, the Western church does not seem to be happy and healthy.   

I hope to tackle some crazy, intense questions like,  “What IS church?”  “What’s the purpose of church?” “Why do people go to church?  Why do people leave church?”  “Should church be concerned about being culturally relevant?  If so, how much is enough/too much?”  “How does Jesus feel about this church that bears His name?”     

So, my first questions for you to answer:

How satisfied are you with your current church experience (scale of 1 to 10)?  Why?

What do you see that is good about church (in whatever form you know it)?

What do you dislike about church as you know it?       

 

me, a hypocrite?

If I had any regular readership on this blog, I hope I haven’t lost it with my lack of posting lately…. my blog ticker tells me that a few people out there are still checking in.  thanks!

 So, a little confession today.  Is that ok?

This is what is haunting my mind/heart… but, it is changing.

We’ll start at the beginning (sort of ).  I was in college when I first felt a clear calling from the Lord to “stand on the wall” as an “intercessor” — not necessarily that it would be a full-time calling, but I knew it will be a significant part of my life from that point on.  I have never been one who “hates” prayer.  I usually quite enjoy it.  I have led many a prayer meeting — and (almost) always LOVED it.  I’m not sure if others have always felt the same way, but I like prayer meetings!  I love seeing the answers to prayer, too.  It only fuels my desire in it.

Now, a few years down the road, i’ve learned more of the true power of intercession — that, as simple as it sounds, it is THE WAY that God governs the Universe!  If I want to take part in changing lives and changing the world and changing history, all I have to do is stand before God and say back to Him what He has already said (i.e. His Word in the Bible).  He loves our agreement and partnership in bringing about His will!

I’ve preached prayer.  I’ve organized prayer gatherings and prayer initiatives.  I’ve taught others to pray….  but lately, I noticed a problem.

I’m not praying much. 

That’s not ok with me. 

Sure, I talk to the Lord a lot, all day as I’m going through life and that is prayer.  I live my life unto the Lord — that’s prayer, too.  But, I’ve found lots of reasons and excuses to not spend much time alone, in front of God and God alone, in prayer.  I still love Him, I still have been hearing His voice, but, this is not good with me.  I fear actually getting into the habit of NOT having set aside time — a prayerless life! 

I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions, but I am making a new determination to set my life in order around this calling and desire for prayer/intercession.  The time of year really is coincidental.  It is quite helpful that we’re doing our annual time of consecration at church (we call it 504= 24 hours x 21 days).  I’ve set my heart to enter into this time deeply.  I’m going to do as little as possible of “everything else” (business, etc.) and put myself in that place of prayer (even when it feels dry and I “hit the wall”), because there is no life outside of a life in God, and I’m not just looking for life in my heart — I want enough to give away!  I want as many people as possible to have the life of God on the inside!  As a “pastor”, that’s what many would call my primary calling — bringing others into the life of Jesus Christ.  But that won’t happen right if I’m not drowning in His love myself! 

I hope I won’t be the only one, and others of you will join me in the journey to a TRUE life of prayer.  It’s for everyone.  It’s only the dim, dull ones (like me) that need the Lord to tell them specifically to give their lives to it.   

 

IJM

I’m on a role with three-letter acronym titles (FYI, VOM, now IJM).  

I feel kinda bad about this…. my last post was all about persecution and human rights violations, plus I’ve got another page totally dedicated to the nations, yet, in all of this, I haven’t mentioned the International Justice Mission (IJM) once. 

This all hit me yesterday as I was talking with Sam Young after church, and he mentioned reading my blog regularly (thanks, Sam! ).  . . . How does all that connect, you ask?  Well, Sam WORKS for IJM today, and in my early years as a youth leader, he was one of the best student leaders — and now a young man who I greatly esteem.  Not only that, last month, there was a huge initiative at Michigan State University called the “Price of Life” that partnered with IJM to expose the campus to the reality of human trafficking — an initiative that I helped (in a small way) sponsor!  It was talking to Sam, about IJM, the initiative, and a passing reference to my blog, that made it hit me:  why haven’t I said anything about IJM?!?! 

What is IJM? 
I could hardly do them justice, but I will try.  You will be best served to go to their website and see for yourself.  Thier mission, from the website: 
IJM exists to protect people from violent forms of injustice by securing rescue and restoration for victims and accountability for perpetrators, ensuring that public justice systems work for the poor.

I would describe it like this (in my VERY limited knowledge of them).  IJM is a non-profit social justice organization, working all over the world to free people from unjustices and human rights violations.  They work with different national and international governments to bring criminals to just and bring an end to crimes that are many-times ignored in third-world regions (one of the biggest problems: child sex slavery).  The things they see and the stories they tell will 1.) turn your stomach  2.) make you wish you never heard them  3.) motivate you to do SOMETHING to change the situation.  I can tell you, I have had all three reactions . . . and still do. 

IJM is an amazing organization.  They’ve only been around 10 years, but have gained a huge amount of respect, money, and power because what they are doing is honest, excellent in every way, and willing to take lots of (very necessary) risks.  Sad to say (but true), one of the most impressive things about IJM, is that although they are a faith-based organization, they don’t use heart wrenching pleas for money, nor do they operate on a shoestring, barely-getting-by budget.  Their mentality is: fight for justice, and do it right;  no cutting corners or playing “unfair” with people’s heart strings.  I love it. 

About Sam Young. 
I have to write this part, and not just because he may read it .  Many of you don’t know him, but he’s the kind of guy that you WANT to know.  Sam grew up in a big family (6 kids),  went to church all his life (Dad was/is an elder in the church), played lots of sports in high school (noteably, co-captain of the football team), and was well-liked by everyone.  When he graduated, he attended the University of Michigan and recieved his degree in Criminal Justice.  He also got married soon after graduation.

So, here’s a guy, who, in most people’s opinions has everything going for him.  Raised in a good home (not without it’s own problems, though), earned a degree from one of the highest ranking Universities, well-liked and talented.  What does a guy like that do, as he looks ahead at life, and thinks “how can I really make a difference?  how can I best use my life right now to impact the world?”.  He goes to work for IJM!!  How awesome is that?!  And, it’s not like they gave him some prestigious position in the organization.  No, he so believes in justice — the real kind (not some of the shady things that go down in other areas of the legel arena) — that he’s willing to move himself and his new wife and start a new life in Washington, D.C. (far away from both families), with a job at the lower end of the totem pole. . . because he believes, IT’S WORTH IT.  and, I AGREE!  I give my standing ovation to Sam today!

More thoughts on why I love this guy . .  though he was raised in the church, the son of an Elder, he never seemed to get “jaded” with the whole “church” thing.  He was always the “perfect” kid in the youth group (and not just because he wanted to be the youth pastor’s pet; he was the real deal!).  If I got discouraged about other people or what was happening in the ministry, I always knew thinking about Sam and his pure heart for God and love for people would encourage me to keep going.   He never tried to be fake, but was always genuinely interested in others.  He was popular in school and probably could have dated almost any girl, but chose not to waste too much emotional energy on relationships until he felt he was ready to invest in someone special (which didn’t happen until college).  He was a blessing to me because he was always respectful toward me and always seemed to have a good attitude.  He went on to college, and instead of looking to “be free” and live crazy, being out from the watchful eyes of his parents, he continued on the path of integrity, becoming a leader on campus, persuing the best in every area of his life.  Today, I believe he’s very happy.  He’s reaping the rewards of living a life of faith and purpose.  I would guess that he feels fulfilled, knowing that his life is making a difference, and that every choice along the way was worth it.  And, he’s only just begun!

Here’s to you, Sam!  I love you!   

 

Unity- Part 4

Really, I hoped to not be so “serious” and “spiritual” all the time on this blog . . . I’m just taken with this topic right now… someday soon (hopefully) I’ll have a “just for fun” blog…

Part 4:  We go farther together. 

This is one of the biggest hurdles for us in the Western world.  We live individualistic lives in pretty much every area; we really don’t even have much of a grid for having any kind of “corporate” identity, wether it be in a family, a church, a community, whatever.  We value our independance and personal journey.  There is a reality to a personal journey and our relationship with God.  However, it can’t just be “me and Jesus”. 

See, there is ONE Body.  And, the Father is preparing a Wedding (see Matthew 22) where there will be ONE BRIDE.  Our identity will be so intertwined and connected with one another, that we can truly be called “one”.  There’s no reference to the “harem” of Christ (heard that once and it stuck with me . 

So, one person may speak of amazing personal revelations and experiences they have in the Lord.  However, if that cannot find an expression that impacts others and draws all of us into more of the “fullness of Christ”, there’s a problem.  As they say, “no man is an island”, I think the same concept is reflected in our life in the Spirit.  Don’t get me wrong, we should ALL have a personal, private history with God.  We cannot live off of another person’s pursuit of the Holy, some how siphoning spiritual reality when we haven’t pressed in ourselves.  On the other hand, people who find no need for the corporate expressions of worship, and feel hindered because they just want to “go” in God, and others “just don’t understand” are missing out on the greatest blessing of all. 

We ARE called to love God in the most extravagant personal, all-consuming way possible (first commandment: love God with everything).  We are ALSO called to love others (second greatest command!).  Our relationship to the Lord is intricately connected to the life and love we share with others. 

God has a desire to cause us to attain to the “fullness of Christ” — to somehow grab hold of ALL that Christ is– but, it only happens in relationship to one another!!  (see Ephesians 4:12-13, “. . . that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the.. fullness of Christ).  This is amazing, stunning, and challenging all at the same time! 

Let me throw out a few of the most startling Scriptures related to this:

Paul prayed…”that you may be able to comprehend together with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;  that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19 

Paul prays that we would comprehend the great love of God — and be filled with the fullness of God — but only in the context of “wiith ALL the saints”.  We get it TOGETHER. 

 the commanded blessing: “See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard ……. for THERE the Lord commands the blessing — life forevermore.” Psalm 133:1-3 

Not only is it GOOD and PLEASANT (that means God really likes it!), it says that He COMMANDS a blessing…. there’s a blessing that cannot be stopped, because it is commanded by God Himself!!  It is an ETERNAL blessing, and powerful blessing:  “life forevermore” — could that mean the RESURRECTION LIFE and POWER of Jesus?????  We are supposed to have His POWER in us!  So what could this commanded blessing and “life forevermore” contain??……. 

This promise seems to be partly fulfilled in the book of Acts: “They were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house …. then there appeared to them tongues of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 2:1-3) “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.  Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.  There wasn’t anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” (Acts 4:31-35) 

Wow!  Obviously as the people came together in Unity, great power was released!  It’s awesome!   

“And through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people.  And they were all with one accord at the Temple area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.”  Acts 5:12… and more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord — crowds of both men and women…… Crowds came in from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.”  Acts 5:14-16

I could happy to love Jesus in my little corner of life.  But, He has SO much more for us!  How could we not come together, and find out what the reality of knowing the FULLNESS of God is??

 

Unity- Part 3

okay, finally.  I’ve been wanting to continue this thread– this topic won’t leave me alone!

but first, more important things: for those who are eagerly following along, I updated the Baby page, as we have our first PICTURE!!!  WOO! Check it out!

What else is necessary for unity?  Humility.

Ah, that crush to the carnal nature we all struggle with: humilty [if you haven't read my first blog on Humility, check it out here].  I don’t think anyone is ”naturally” humble.  We are all born with a lean towards making ourselves into the center of our attention, “self-gods”, kind of.  What dictates what we do?  Our self.  Who tells us what we should do?  Our self.  Who has the final say in pretty much everything?  Our self… you get the point.  Even those who would claim to serve God, in the final analysis probably are led more by self than by God or his directions. 

But, all is not lost.  We’ve been given an amazing example:  Jesus Christ.  Though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor, so that though His poverty, we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).  The One who could have and should have been worshipped and followed came to earth to serve, emptied out everything, to give us everything.  Amazing!  The Greater serving the lesser, making them.. Great! 

Why?  Love.  He was so committed to love us, to show us His love, to captivate us with His affection, He would go to any length.  Really, it should have been us, trying to go to any length to show love and affection and commitment to Him: the One who holds eternity, and is worthy to be served by every human being (one day, He will be!)!  But, He turned the tables, did what we would never do– bowed low, the Uncreated One, serving those He created.  It’s completely unthinkable, yet true.  “Here is love, vast as the ocean . . . . “     

If we’ve truly been touched by Him and this truth…

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. . . [Philippians 2:1-5]

If we’ve been touched with the reality of Christ, the natural end will be that we should be (or eagerly desire to be) “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose”.  How do we come to a place where we operate in a oneness of spirit and purpose?  It is when we don’t seek our own gain and do only what we think is important and excites us, but consider others BETTER than us. 

C’mon, how often do you look at your neighbor and say to yourself, “they’re better than me; I should treat them with more honor and value than I do myself”?  But, that’s exactly how we should approach our relationships with one another!  It’s easier said and though than done, I know.  But, in God’s eyes, the way for me to be truly be great, is to get down on my knees and do whatever I can to make YOU great!  It’s what Jesus did.  Am I better than Him?   

 

Unity- Part 2

If you have n’t read Part 1 of this series, to that first: click here. 

After you’ve done that you might want to check out this interesting post about corporate times of praise/worship — funny, we all use different words to describe this time we share together glorifying God, singing songs, etc…. and there are actually 9 “worship words” in the Hebrew/Greek texts of the Bible — anyhow, he doesn’t do an in-depth exposition on all the words, but hits the heart of the matter.  I think you’ll enjoy. 

 Ok, so Part 2.  I couldn’t wait to post more.  My first post was so general on Unity.  And there’s so much more bubbling in me! 

One of the main reasons efforts at “unity” among Christians fail:  making “unity” the goal. 

That seems strange, right?  If you want to accomplish something, like becoming more “unified”, you set your sights on how you can make THAT thing happen, right?  Right.  Well, in most cases that is true in life.  But, I don’t think it works here. 

They say that nothing can bring “unity” among a group of people better than a common “enemy”.  This is how armed forces become such tight units, caring for one another, willing to sacrifice life and limb for one another.  It’s because they’re not focused on each other, and making sure the group is “ok” or safe.  There is a HIGHER purpose, a goal outside of themselves, a calling to fulfill destiny for many.  A common cause brings a common bond.  And not just agreeing to the common cause, but a heart and soul dedication to that cause — willingness to sacrifice self for the greater good.  In an army, laying your life down is for the greater good, and you do it willingly because it’s what you signed up for; you wanted to be a part of winning the “war”, squelching evil and protecting the greater good for all of mankind (more or less; I’m trying to generalize the mindset here — you get it, right?). 

In the call of our destiny to become One in Jesus, it will be because we are committed to a higher call, a greater good, and so dedicated to it that our lives are willingly laid down.  What is the greater good, then? 

 Is it that we would “get along” and like each other?  Or, is it that we could do activities together and say that we did this thing with that group that’s “different” than us?  Is it just a tacit agreement that “well, we’re Christians, so we’re supposed to be on the same team”. 

I say no. 

The higher calling is the glory of God.  That God Himself and His Son Jesus would receive honor and praise from more people and that His Kingdom would come more fully on Earth as it is in Heaven.   For this we are willing to lay our lives down, give up comfort, honor, pride, personal preferences, etc.  We love Him and He is worthy of it all and more.  That is the call that will truly unify us and cause us to love one another and humble ourselves and say “you’re better than me”, “your life and welfare is more important to me than my own”.

 So, why does is not seem to work when different groups try to “unify”.  Well, in my opinion, it’s because we look to ourselves and to each other.  We seek unity, not God and His high calling.  And, we end up factoring everything down to the lowest common denominator, i.e. “well, what are the basics that we can agree on, so nobody gets offended?”  What does this approach produce?  A lukewarm, “dumbed-down” cause with no passion, no teeth, no bite, no power.  It is self-protecting instead of sacrificial; it covets comfort instead of victory and battles won.  Istead of looking down, to the “basics”, we should look up to the higher calling and let it call us UPWARD. 

In the process, we will all be challenged — not to require less of one another, but MORE of ourselves– to give more, to humble ourselves, serve those around us and be obedient in love (to the One who loved us), even to death.  that is, I might have to die to what I “like”, my personal preferences, my position of power, my “vision”, etc. 

Ouch.

Why would I want to do that?  Because Jesus did that for me, and I’m madly in love with Him.       

 

Unity- Part 1

Ah.  I’m learning a lot about this… or, I feel like I am.

 

I have long been burdened to see unity happen in the people of God.  I have given of myself to try and see this happen.  But, I guess it’s harder than one would expect. 

 John 17:20-23  “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:  I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 

This was Jesus’ prayer for US!  For you and me!  He was thinking of those of us who would be following in His footsteps hundreds of years after He had died and rose into Heaven, forever interceding for us.  His great desire of us was that we would express the perfection of unity, just like He had with his Father.  His plea to the Father was that we would become “one” like the Godhead.  Amazing!  How can we even understand the unity within God; that the distinct Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three individuals, yet One Being??  And, how could WE — diverse people, ministries, groups, etc. –  EVER express the complete UNITY that God has within Himself??  HOW?!  I mean, our feeble minds can’t even understand the reality of it – how are we to EMBODY it – this reality that we can’t even define clearly?!

 

Yet, it was the prayer of the Son, to His Father.  God, speaking to God.  Would the Father deny His Son this one desire??  No way.  The Father would be pleased to grant the answer to this perfect prayer, the prayer of His Beloved Son!  Does He lack the power to do this?  Never.  It is guaranteed.  It will be.  It will be.    

So, why does it seem so impossible?!?!

 

Jesus prayed that we would be “one” as He and the Father were/are one; i.e. sharing the same emotions, feelings, thoughts – and submitted in love to one another, rejoicing in one another and enjoying bringing joy to each other. 

 

Not only will we be One with one another, we will be One with God Himself!!  Talk about two very DIFFERENT beings . . . becoming ONE!  God wants to share HIS glory with us!  His glory is His goodness!  He is going to share HIS goodness with us, it will be OUR goodness.  Not only that, we will love Jesus AS MUCH as the Father loves Jesus.

 

WOAH.

 

The question is:  how much does the Father love His Son??

 

I’ll stop there, for now.  Unity has been burning in me.  But, I’ll do this in segments, so as not to overwhelm you.  If you’re at all interested in following my train of thought let me know . . . but, I’ll probably keep posting anyhow, even if no one responds.  J