Paul and Cross-Cultural Mission

During this last week Bruce and I were traveling across Alabama, from Albertville to Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and then home again. Many of you know we work with Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, a mission training course and I am an instructor. Perspectives isn’t a course solely about world missions. It’s a study program rooted in scripture, clarifying each believer’s opportunity to join God in His global purpose. Last week, I was teaching a Perspective class, lesson 10, the cultural lesson, “How Shall They Hear?” in four different classes in Alabama. This particular class refers to the sensitivity that is required to convey the message of the gospel across cultural barriers. The gospel spreads powerfully within a culture, but does not jump easily across cultural boundaries. In this lesson students explore what culture is, and how they can better jump across cultural barriers that have long obstructed the advancement of the gospel. They also explore how to communicate the culture at the deep level, the heart level, and why it’s important to look for keys or unique ways to bridge and communicate God’s truth.

         Paul often ministered cross-culturally. In fact, he said that “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ has not already been named” or known. (Rom 15:20).  I heard one theologian describe Paul as a sort of Hudson Taylor meets Jim Elliot with a dash of Indiana Jones adventurer, heading off to the Black Hole of Calcutta to be tortured regularly for preaching the gospel. However, honestly, I don’t think being beaten and ship-wrecked was part of Paul’s ministry strategy. Certainly, those were things he didn’t choose but he endured on behalf of the gospel. He was also willing to step into challenging areas of cross-cultural ministry.

         In one of the few episodes in which Paul is seen traveling alone, the apostle chooses to engage with philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). He observes the city’s many idols and distressed by them, he first joins a theological discussion at the synagogue. Afterward a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with Paul. “Others took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean” . (Acts 17:19-20). Having piqued their interest, Paul stands up to address the Athenians at the Areopagus (or Mars Hill), the center of Greek religiosity. Notably, Paul takes a positive approach. In his opening remarks Paul reminded his audience of how religious they were and how he had noticed a statue with the inscription, agnosto theo, “to the unknown God” (Acts 17:23). This opened the way for Paul to declare the true God. Wisely he did not denounce Athenian idolatry which would only have closed the minds of his hearers to his message. Strategically, he used commendation rather than condemnation. Then later, in God’s timing, he would provide the powerful story of the gospel, that it may cleanse and reform the society. Paul intentionally opts not to begin his address by pushing his own beliefs (scripture) or attacking the Athenians’ views (idolatry). Instead, he seeks common ground. Paul neither attacks the Athenians nor condescends because he knows he has knowledge to which they are not yet privy. He didn’t describe them as bad people. Rather, he states that because of their ignorance  about the “unknown god”, they simply are unaware of the good news of the true God as yet.

         Paul began his speech by identifying what was missing in their Greek religious worldview. The fact that the Athenians had built an altar to “an unknown god” (Acts 17:23) indicated that there was a sense of inadequacy. They could not give a name to this “unknown god” because they did not know who he was. This provided Paul opportunity to address “the unknown god” with the positive content of the gospel. (Acts 17:27-29). Paul showed great sensitivity in quoting, not the Old Testament, as he always did when speaking to Jews, but he used quotes from Greek poets who were familiar in the Greek culture in order to bridge with them. Notice that without compromising the gospel, Paul determined a way to bridge with non-Christian sources typical of the Greek culture to establish some common ground.

         The Athenians had taken the first step toward knowing God in that they were supernaturalists (belief in an invisible higher power) (Acts 17:22). Their unusual respect for deities is indicated by the fact that “the unknown God” was also worshipped. This worship assumes that they have at least a knowledge of a greater god, the existence of one. Paul makes use of this: “Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. “(Acts 17:23-25). Paul bridges with the Greek audience by way of “the unknown god”; but his point of contact is their ignorance. It would have been impossible for them had they denied God’s existence to ever know Him, since “he who comes to God must believe that He is” (Hebrews 11:6). No one will search for a path to a destination they believe does not exist. And they must have believed there was a god (among all their deities) whom they did not know yet.

As Paul’s strategy continues, he quotes two other key scriptures to his Greek audience., 

1) “in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Interestingly, philosophers seem to always be discussing topics like “man’s existence” and his “state of being”. Paul, with the Holy Spirit’s leading, strategically chose that particular scripture to bridge and connect with his Greek audience. Then Paul continued with….

2) “for we are indeed His offspring.” (Acts 17:28) Here Paul is stating that if we live and have our being in this “unknown God” then we cannot possibly be offspring of lesser gods for we could only be offsprings of the superior God, this “unknown God” that Paul was proclaiming to them.

         At the Areopagus the “unknown God” speech of Paul remains before us as a perfect example of witnessing the Gospel in a cross-cultural setting. Paul reminds us that the cultural sensitivity in preaching to people from different backgrounds is a must in our missionary endeavors. He takes a respectful and humble approach; he does not simply conform to their worldview and beliefs, rather he seeks to correct and transform the Athenian’s understanding of God. Sharing the gospel is not a matter of a packaged 

step 1, step 2 and so forth. Steps are merely guidelines for witnessing, but ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit’s guiding wisdom upon which we must be dependent. Paul’s approach teaches us that cross-cultural ministry and discipleship must be alert to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and ready to adapt quickly to unexpected situations.

Let’s pray:

1) “And I will ask the Father, and he will give our children another advocate to help them and be with them forever.” (John 14:16)

2) “May the God of hope fill our children with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit they may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

3) But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) May our children depend on the Holy Spirit and lean into His teachings in all that they do.

4) “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.” (1 Peter 4:11) May it be true for our children.

5) “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) May our children be follow hard fast after Jesus all of their lives. 

Ordinary to Extraordinary

Let’s face it. Life in the Spirit can feel ordinary at times. And yet, my friends, take note, this really is one of Satan’s greatest feats used to destroy us. If Satan cannot keep God from breaking in and saving our soul, he will do what he can to downplay what has happened. He’ll seed thorns that disrupt our sense of safety and rest (2 Cor.12:7). He’ll try to veil the glory of God in and around us (2 Cor. 4:4). He’ll flood us with riches and pleasures to distract us from spiritual reality (Luke 8:14). He’ll seize on any glimpse of sin: “See, you’re exactly who you were before, you haven’t changed at all.” (Rev. 12:10). Satan can convince us that a life invaded by the presence of the Holy Spirit, isn’t really all that different from any other life. He convinces us to perceive and define our lives by the past, rather than by the new creation the Holy Spirit is fashioning us to be. Yes, life in the Spirit can often feel ordinary. We eat and drink, work and sleep, and then do it all again. But none of now is the same as it was, not even our morning coffee or our afternoon snack. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor.10:31). This glory doesn’t skip meals; it invades them. And who empowers us to eat, drink and do everything for the glory of God? The Spirit does. Now, we eat with the Spirit. Now, we drink with the Spirit. We work, play and sleep in the Spirit. Now, we walk by the Spirit. A normal day may feel ordinary, but below the surface of our perceptions, God is knitting together a new, miraculous, unfinished life in us…by His Spirit.

The Word of God says that if you belong to Christ, the Spirit of God lives in you. But His Spirit doesn’t hover above you waiting to help. He’s not waiting at a desk in heaven for you to call.  No, when God delivered you from sin and death, he not only invited you into his presence and family, but he came to live in you. He made a home for himself in your forgiven soul.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple,” Paul asks, “and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). Do you know? Has the ordinariness of life made you forget? God is living in the ordinary, in your ordinary. Even if many aspects of your life stayed the same after you came to Christ, your family, your job, your neighborhood…something fundamental changed. Someone fundamental. God flooded every familiar and unremarkable corner of your life with Himself, with his Spirit. Feel the force of Paul’s wonder as he repeats himself three times in just a few verses:

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. . . If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you (Rom.8:9–11). Here Paul is captivated by a reality we often miss or take for granted. God does not just love you, protect you, provide for you, and draw near to you; he dwells in you

If we could see all that the Holy Spirit is working in us and through us, we would not yawn or groan over “ordinary” like we’re prone to do. One day, we’ll have eyes and ears tuned to these miracles, but for now, we have to search for them…for Him. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”(Jer.29:13) Whenever we reach out in faith to God as our Father, we do so by the Spirit. Do you have an impulse to pray when you feel tempted, weak, confused or discouraged? That impulse is not ordinary or natural; it’s a work of God.

Anything you truly understand about God, his Word, and his will are gifts of the Holy Spirit. Anyone can read God’s words and perhaps even make sense of the vocabulary and grammar and logic, but no one grasps the realities unless the Spirit moves. “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12). We will never fully comprehend all God has done for us in Christ, but what we do understand now, we understand because of what God has done for us in the Holy Spirit.

“If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13). Humans die in a thousand different ways, but sin dies in just one: by the Spirit. We may miss the power of these deaths because we assume, somewhere deep down, that we could overcome sin on our own…but we can’t and we don’t. If sin dies by our hand, it is only because our hand has become a mighty weapon in the hands of God himself. The Holy Spirit doesn’t only weed out the remaining wickedness in us; he also plants and nurtures a garden of righteousness. The clearest evidence that he dwells in us is not the ugliness he removes, but the beauty he creates. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22–23). In other words, he makes us more like Christ. “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image” (his image) “from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). 

Everyone in whom the Spirit lives has been given abilities for the good of other believers. Paul says of the church, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor.12:4–7). To each…not just some or many.  So how has God recently met a specific need through you? And do you realize, that when he does, he’s reminding you that he lives in you, by his Spirit.

Sustained love for Jesus only happens where the Spirit lives. Paul describes the same miracle in 2 Cor. 4:6: “He (God) has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” If we still love what we see when we look at Jesus, we see something only the Spirit could do in us. Do you see any gifting from Him, any victory over sin, any Christlike love, peace or joy? Do you still love what you see of Jesus? Then your ordinary isn’t as ordinary as you might think, because the Holy Spirit is alive and at work in you.

Yes, as believers you have the Holy Spirit now, but what you experience now is only a taste of what’s to come. The Spirit, Paul says, “is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it” (Eph. 1:14). Guarantee, meaning there’s more.

Whatever good the Spirit does in each of us now is merely an appetizer of what he will do in all of us forever. The Spirit living in us in this world is a taste of what it will be like for us to live in His coming world. Life in the Spirit feels mundane when we grow dull to miracles and we are not alert to the move of the Spirit in our lives. Yes, we live and work and love among thorns and thistles for now, but we do so by the strength and wisdom of God…until the day when He makes glory our ordinary.

The Great Encourager

In Luke 15:11–32 (please take a moment and read these verses) the parable of the prodigal son, or one might say, the parable of the prodigal sons (plural) is a famous story about a father — a blameless father — and his two sons, who are anything but blameless. Each of the sons are entrapped by their own sin in very different ways. For parents of prodigal sons and daughters, and for the lost, in general, this story resonates deeply in offering hope and encouragement. I know it does for me. This story has so many layers of encouragement in it. I don’t think anybody has ever discovered them all. The Prodigal is an amazing portrait of the gracious, encouraging heart of God. Jesus is the great Encourager! Let’s take a closer look at the parable of the Prodigal. What do we learn about our heavenly Father? 

1) God pursues sinners– The father in the parable is a picture of God acting in Christ to save prodigals and lost people. We need to think of Him that way. He’s pursuing sinners!

2) God is glad to have prodigals come home– There’s this jubilant celebration over a single sinner who repents, prodigal or not. “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Notice in The Prodigal, the father says, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him. . . Let us eat and celebrate (Luke 15:22–23). So, God’s heart in this parable is thrilled to have prodigals come home. He’s not begrudging; he’s glad!

3) God can use our suffering to awaken us to His revelation. The prodigal son experiences a change of heart at the lowest point of his miserable life. He’s even ready to share food with the pigs. And finally, during the most dreadful season of his life, “he came to himself” (Luke 15:17), which means he came to his senses. The encouraging thing is that just when it appeared absolutely hopeless is when he experienced his greatest awakening! 

4) God’s heart runs toward his children. Perhaps the most tender and powerful moment in the parable is the moment when the father sees the boy a long way off and runs to greet  him, not walks. He runs to greet him. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). The father saw, he felt, he ran, he embraced, he kissed! Wow… I want that to be me and my heart for the lost who come home.  Let us keep that picture in our minds, not only as a picture of God’s heart, but to make our own hearts tender and eager that way.

5) God can raise the dead– The father describes the change in the boy’s life as a change from death to life. “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24) This is encouraging because the father did not minimize the dreadfulness of his young son’s condition. The young son was dead. From a merely human standpoint, he was hopeless. Yet, we should never look upon the hardness, the indifference, even the bitterness or the cynicism of a person and think, “That can’t change. This is never going to change.” (Ugh! I’m talking to myself right now!) But, my friends, we can’t think that way! People can change! He who was dead lives!

6) God invites both sons to come home– Remember that this father in the parable had two prodigals, not just one. When Jesus was eating with the tax collectors and sinners, there were two groups of lost people he had to deal with. One was the tax collectors and sinners, and the other was the scribes and Pharisees. The tax collectors and sinners are represented in the parable by the prodigal son, and the scribes and Pharisees are represented by the older son who was angry and legalistic. He was angry that the father was celebrating the return of the younger son. It’s as if he was angry about his brother embracing new life and salvation. Was he not glad that his younger brother was alive again? This older brother, like the Pharisees, saw his relationship with the father in terms of earning privileges rather than enjoying a relationship. And how did the father respond to this wayward thinking of the second prodigal son? “… his father went out and pleaded with him” (Luke 15:28). Surprisingly, I’ve always had a compassionate heart for the Pharisees. They wanted to be so right with God that they went overboard and created over 6000 laws to try to help the Hebrew people remain in right standing with God. They became legalistic and lost sight of their true purpose before God. Sometimes people think that Jesus never cared or pursued the Pharisees. They think that Jesus only had negative things to say about them and that he never invited them to believe. And yet, isn’t that what’s going on right here with the older son in the Prodigal parable? In verse 28, the older son was angry, and he refused to go in and be a part of his younger brother’s celebration of life and salvation. Yet, his father, just like he did with the younger son, came out and pleaded with him. He was not angry. Not only did the father come out to meet the younger son, he came out and pleaded with the legalistic older son. The word says (Rom.2:11) “For there is no partiality with God.” All are welcome at the cross who come running home, repent and believe… That includes prodigals, any lost people, and yes, even a Pharisee.” Jesus pursues them all.

         Throughout the Bible Jesus stands with us. He picks us up, wipes our noses and sends us forward. In Acts 23:1-11, we read that Jesus stands by the side of Paul in his prison cell and says, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” Wow!  Jesus was and is the great ENCOURAGER. The Lord who is always beside us encouraging says: “Take courage!”

1) To a paralytic, lying on his bed, Jesus said, “Take courage, my son, your sins are forgiven” (Matt. 9:2).

2) To the woman with the hemorrhage who touched the fringe of Jesus’ coat, He said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has saved you” (Matt. 9:22, lit.).

3) To the disciples, who thought that Jesus walking on the water was a ghost, He said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matt. 14:27; parallel, Mark 6:50).

4) To the disciples on the night He was betrayed, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).         

Truly, Jesus is the Lord who encourages those who are discouraged and without hope!  He commands us to “Take courage.”  Do you realize that this is a command? It’s a gentle and gracious command, but it is a command. We are accountable for our part as we partner with our Father. Let’s look at 1 Sam. 30:6, “David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. My friends let us take heart and remember Jesus’ encouragement to us and may we, in turn, spread that encouraging courage to others for His glory, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

New Years 2025

Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai: Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5). He urged them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their fading spirituality in light of what God had told them. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. A great time for us to “Consider our ways.” To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God:

1. What’s one thing you can do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? Over and over again in God’s word, our great job is joy in Him:

Rejoice in the Lord always. (Phil. 4:4)   Delight yourself in the Lord. (Psalm 37:4)

Be glad in the Lord. (Ps. 32:11)             In your presence there is fullness of joy. (Ps. 16:11)

Our enjoyment of God comes primarily through the means of grace he has given us. He has promised to bless us most directly and consistently through means such as his word, prayer, and the church. One specific suggestion I’d offer would be to include some meditation on Scripture along with your daily reading, which most of you probably do. We started as a couple memorizing a few Psalms together. We’ve enjoyed learning them and saying them aloud each morning or when traveling together.

2. What’s an impossible prayer you can pray? There are more than a dozen “but God” statements in Scripture, such as in Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Situations that were humanly impossible were transformed by “but God”. What’s an impossible prayer, a “but God” prayer you can pray for the coming year?

3. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year? Would it be a personal spiritual discipline (that is, one you practice alone), or an interpersonal spiritual discipline (one you practice with other believers)? Once you decide, determine the next step to take and when you will take it.

4. What’s the single biggest time-waster in your life, and how can you redeem the time? Social media? TV? Video games? Sports? Hobbies? It’s easy for any of these (or something else) to take too much of our hearts and time. Is repentance required?  Actively replacing the wasters in your life with something better helps us in “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).

5. What’s the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church? The New Testament actually says seven times that the church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23). We mustn’t minimize the importance of our service to Jesus through his body. How can your church be stronger this year because of you? Serving? Giving? Praying?

6. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year? Praying frequently and fervently for someone’s salvation makes us more sensitive to opportunities to share the gospel. Will you commit to praying for at least one person’s salvation every day this new year?

7. What’s the most important way, by God’s grace, you will try to make this year different from last? Pray and ask God for his guidance in this.

8. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

For some, it might be as simple as designating a time exclusively for prayer. For others, it might be learning the simple, biblical practice of praying the Bible. If we don’t form the habit of praying the Scriptures, our prayers will likely degenerate into vain repetitions that eventually revolve entirely around our immediate private concerns, rather than God’s larger purposes. Most of the Psalms are prayers, and of course, Jesus, Paul, the prophets and many others in the Bible have given us prayers. One pastor I know uses the acronym IOUS from the Psalms to guide in praying the Scriptures (preface your prayers with these IOU’S):

I, Incline my heart to your testimonies (Ps. 119:36).                             

O, Open my eyes to see wonderful things (Ps. 119:18).                                

U, Unite my heart to fear your name (Ps 86:11).                                   

S, Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love (Ps. 90:14). 

9. What single thing can you plan to do this year that will matter most in ten years? In eternity? Impacting your soul, your family, your church?

Short-term deadlines tend to dominate our attention. Busyness and fatigue often limit our vision to just getting through the day. But we mustn’t allow ourselves to be distracted and neglect those things that would have enormous long-term impact on our soul, our family, or our church.

My friends, the value of these questions or others, is in the simple fact that they bring an issue or commitment into focus. For example, just by making a goal to encourage one person this year is more likely to help you remember to encourage that person than if you hadn’t set that goal. Reviewing these questions frequently during the new year can help us keep centered and not get entangled in the growing number of distractions escalating each year. The phrase “Consider Your Ways,” keeps ringing in my ears. The Bible states “the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance” (Prov. 21:5). That’s powerful! Plans matter! But in all that we plan and do, we must also remember our dependence on our King, who said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

 My friends…Consider your New Year… “Consider Your Ways.” (Haggai 1:5)

Let us Pray:

1) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Is. 43:18-19

Father, may our children let go of the past and perceive new things, ideas, and gifting that you lay before them. Thank you that you guide them and strengthen them as they go forth.

2) “And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Rev. 21:5  

Thank you, Father, that you make all things new as our children go forth in 2025.

3) “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lam. 3:22-23 

Thank you, Father, that your love for our children never ceases and your mercies for them never end. Thank you for your great faithfulness.

4) “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” Phil. 3:13 

Thank you, Father, that the past will not become a snare to our children’s future. Thank you that they will press through any obstacles that come their way and complete the work you give them to do. May they finish strong!

5) “Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19 

Father, as our children begin Year 2025 convict their hearts to repentance for any sin that might separate them from you, that they may be refreshed and renewed by your Spirit.

We thank you and praise you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus!

     The last prayer in the Bible, which is also one of the shortest was written by John the apostle. He simply said, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)

Three words, and yet, so much is inferred within that simple prayer.  John’s prayer is layered with heartache and anticipation, with distress and hope, with agony and joy. Can you imagine the apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23), savoring these three words, “Come, Lord Jesus!”, while abandoned among criminals on the island of Patmos? The promise that Christ will come again feels even sweeter when life on earth feels cruel and unyielding. It’s as if John is making a desperate attempt to literally draw the risen Jesus out of heaven, as he is fervently praying with all his might. The rocky ground beneath his knees was more than a prison; it was a model of the curse, twenty square miles overrun with the consequences of earthly sins. Suffering does that. It opens our eyes wider to all that sin has ruined. It lends an insight into just how much pain and devastation sin has brought to the world. And yet, in a strange way, suffering often awakens in us the promise of Jesus’ coming.

     Weakness and illness make us long all the more for new bodies. Prolonged relational conflicts make us long all the more for peace. Wars, earthquakes, and hurricanes (quite familiar to us in Florida) make us long all the more for a secure life, a secure ground to stand upon. The sin across this fallen world makes us long all the more for sinlessness. “Come, Lord Jesus!” is the cry of someone who really expects a better world to come — and soon. Suffering only intensifies our longing and anticipation. The prayer “Come, Lord Jesus!” is really many prayers in one. What will happen when Christ finally returns? The opening verses of Revelation 21 tell us just how many of our prayers will be answered on that day.

     “Come, Lord Jesus”, and dry our tears. Followers of Jesus are not spared sorrow in this life. In fact, following him often means more tears. Jesus himself warned us it would be so: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). And yet, Jesus promises to never leave us or forsake us. He promises to guide us and protect us. He is with us always even through the storms of this life. But one day, “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes” (Rev. 21:4). In that world, we will not have tribulation, or sorrow, or distress, or persecution, or danger. When he returns, we’ll never have another reason to cry.

     “Come, Lord Jesus”, and put an end to our pain. Some long for the end of heartache; others feel the consequences of sin in their bodies. For some, pain has followed them like a shadow. Revelation 21:4 continues, “. . . neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.” Can you imagine someone who has battled chronic pain for decades waking up one morning and feeling no more pain? The absence of pain will free our senses to enjoy the world like never before.

     “Come, Lord Jesus”, and put death to death. Jesus came on the earth that we may have eternal life defeating the power of death. Yes, death lost its sting when the Son of God died. But one day, death itself will die. When the author of life comes, “death shall be no more” (Revelation 21:4).

     “Come, Lord Jesus”, and rid us of sin. John wrote in verse 3, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” Through that verse, John knew that God would not dwell with sin. For God to come and dwell with us, he will have to first completely destroy the sin that remains in us and in the earth— and that’s exactly what Jesus promises to do. The sin that hides in every shadow and behind every corner will be suddenly extinct. “Jesus will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil”. (Matthew 13:41). “When he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

     “Come, Lord Jesus”, and make it all new. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev.21:1).  Whatever fears have plagued you, whatever trials have surprised you, whatever clouds have followed you, they will all be transformed, in the twinkling of an eye, and stripped of their threats. In the world to come, we will have nothing to fear, nothing to mourn, nothing to endure, nothing to confess. Can you imagine?

     More than a prayer for relief, or safety, or healing, or even sinlessness, though, “Come, Lord Jesus!” is a prayer for Him, Jesus, our Savior and Lord. The burning heart of John’s three-word plea is not for what Jesus does, but for who He is. This is clear throughout the book of Revelation. The world to come is a world we want because Jesus lives there. His presence is paradise. John’s prayer, after all, “Come, Lord Jesus!”, is a response to Jesus promising three times in the previous verses, “Behold, I am coming soon. . .  Behold, I am coming soon. . .  Surely, I am coming soon.” (Rev. 22:7,12,20). The world to come is a world to want because Jesus lives there.

     While the apostle wasted away in prison, he could see the Bridegroom on the horizon (Rev. 1:12-16). His hair white, like snow. His eyes filled with fire. His feet, like burnished bronze. His face, like the sun shining in full strength. The man he had walked with, talked with, laughed with, and surely cried with, now fully glorified and ready to receive and rescue his bride, the church. The Treasure was no longer hidden in a field, but riding on the clouds. Even the vision of the new heavens and new earth in Revelation 21 makes God himself the greatest prize of the world to come: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. 21:3). Yes, we want a world without grief, without pain, without fear, without death. But better to have a world like ours with God, than to have any other world without Him. His presence defines paradise. Nothing less can satisfy us. . . 

       As Randy Alcorn in his book Heaven wrote, “We think that what we want is a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, sex, drugs, alcohol, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. When what we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. We may imagine we want a thousand different things, but God is the one we really long for. His presence brings satisfaction; his absence brings thirst and longing. Our longing for Heaven is a longing for God.”

     When Jesus comes again, we will eat, drink and rejoice without end. Hunger and thirst will become distant memories. If worries have robbed you of sleep, if pain has made even normal days hard, if loved ones have been taken from this earth, if life has sometimes seemed stacked against you, if you can’t shake a restless aching from within, then come away to a quiet place and bask in the presence of Jesus. Take time to rest in Him a while. Seek His face. Seek Him with all your heart. Share His Word with others. Worship Him. Abide in Him. He is your all in all. This world may be the only world we’ve known, but a better world is coming…  and there’s still room at His table.

Wrestling with God

Wrestling is a sport that involves grappling with an opponent while trying to obtain a position of advantage using different methods or techniques. Surprisingly, it is a wrestling match that the Lord often uses to become our portal into faith. Jacob’s wrestling experience described in Genesis 32 can be used to shape our view of God and His blessings.  There are times when God only releases His blessings on us after a season of prolonged and sometimes painful wrestling with Him.

            In Genesis 32, Jacob is returning to His place of birth with his small tribe of wives and children after twenty years away and is mustering courage to reunite with Esau, the brother whose life he damaged through deceit and manipulation. Jacob is quite frightened because his estranged brother, Esau, is coming to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob doesn’t regard this as a welcome party! It appears to be quite an army, which terrifies him! So Jacob splits up His household into two camps and sends them all ahead of him, to try and avoid complete annihilation. Jacob, restless and unable to sleep, is left to spend the night alone — no doubt in desperate prayer. On this lonely night, he can’t hide behind his vast wealth, his many servants, or his large and complicated family… they’re all gone. He is alone in the dark in a desolate place…until he’s not. Until a nameless, stranger leaps out of nowhere, throws him to the ground and proceeds to wrestle Jacob until daybreak. At some point during this strange contest Jacob realizes that he is wrestling with God. Now that’s quite a revelation! Then amazingly, when God decides it’s time to end the match, he dislocates Jacob’s hip and demands to be released. Jacob, in significant pain, replies, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26). This response evidently pleases God, who pronounces this blessing on Jacob: “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob (deceiver), but Israel (struggles with God), for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). That next morning Jacob then limps toward his tense reunion with Esau with a weakened body and a strengthened faith. Having wrestled with God, he knows his prayers regarding Esau will be answered. 

            This story may resonate with you as it does me. Have you ever found yourself alone in the dark in a desolate place?  How often, in that menacing darkness, have you done solitary battle with something you don’t recognize as God until much, much later? It is in relationship with God and in His all-encompassing presence that we fight the fights that bend, break, and remake us.  It is in God’s company that we face down our personal demons.  It is God alone who brings us to the ragged edges of our own strength so that finally, finally, we’ll surrender (a death of self), and allow ourselves to be transformed.  

            Take note of what God did when he wrestled Jacob. Jacob began the night dreading Esau’s arrival. He was full of fear and desperation. But he ended the night of struggle with God’s blessing and a renewed faith. All of our struggling with God in faith leads to rest, resting in Him that is. And isn’t it interesting that God did not simply speak to Jacob in a dream or vision as he had at other times and reiterate His promise with comforting words? This time God addressed Jacob’s fear by requiring him to wrestle all night. This probably felt to Jacob like a badly timed hassle when he just wanted comfort and assurance. However, later he realized just how comforting it was. Sometimes when we want God’s comfort, he sends it in unexpected and even unwanted packages. Surprisingly, God afflicted Jacob with an injury. This had the effect of making Jacob even more vulnerable to Esau, forcing Jacob’s faith to more fully rest on God and not himself. Evidently, from Jacob’s story, we learn that, if necessary, God will even cause us to limp to increase our faith.

Furthermore, wrestling with God changed Jacob’s identity. He was no longer to be known as one who received his blessing by deception. He was renamed Israel and received God’s blessing by prevailing with God by faith. This struggle turned out to be a profoundly gracious gift of restoration that God gave Jacob. Jacob’s tenacious faith pleased God and he rewarded Jacob’s request (Hebrews 11:6). When God calls us to wrestle with Him, there’s always more going on than we first understand and God always uses it to transform us for good. Jacob wasn’t the only person in Scripture to wrestle with God. David wrestled (1 Chronicles 13:11). Jesus wrestled (Matthew 26:39). These moments of personal struggle with God’s will are grounded in genuine relationship. That’s the kind of relationship God wants with us: one in which we learn (through experience) to trust his character, even when we struggle to understand and accept some of His choices. Wrestling with God is a matter of reaching out to Him as He is. It requires embracing his vastness and unpredictability. It may be kind of scary, but it’s the foundation for deep levels of trust in a faithful Father who is trustworthy even when we don’t understand.

            When God makes us wrestle Him for blessing, it is not because God is reluctant to bless us, even if that’s how it first feels. It is because he has more blessings for us in the wrestling than without it. Remember, God was the initiator and pursued Jacob for this match. Jacob was grappling in his own anxiety over Esau and his approaching army when God showed up. The wrestling drew Jacob out of his fearful preoccupation and forced him to focus on God. I doubt that Jacob wanted this forced focus or even believed he needed it at first. It wouldn’t surprise me if at the beginning Jacob had prayed as I might have, “God, would you get rid of this guy? This is the last thing I need right now.” But what he discovered was that the wrestling was a means of God’s grace, a channel for God’s blessing on Him. 

            So my friends, what is it you really need from God right now? What blessing do you want from Him and how badly do you want it? What I carry away from the story of Jacob’s wounding is the troubling, but solid truth, that blessing and bruising are not mutually exclusive in the realm of God.  We can limp and prevail at the same time.  I can’t dictate the terms of blessing.  I can’t say, “I want the blessing but not the limp.”  Sometimes, the blessing is the limp.  As dawn breaks, the stranger asks Jacob to disengage, and Jacob, tenacious as ever, says no: “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”  I love this line. I want to make it my life’s stance, because it assures me that sometimes, “winning” involves nothing more than not giving up.  Sometimes, the spiritual life is about little more than hanging on for dear life to a God who appears mysterious, bewildering, and a bit frightening.  Sometimes the whole of Christianity comes down to saying, “There’s so much I can’t wrap my head around, but I know there’s a blessing in this mess somewhere and I’m going to hang on until I find it.” God will meet you in your anguish, fear, and uncertainty. But He may not meet you in the way you expect or desire. Your greatest ally may show up looking at first like your adversary, inciting you to wrestle with him. If so, remember Jacob. There are multiple blessings in the wrestling. So when God calls you to wrestle with Him in prayer, it is an invitation to receive His blessing. Stay with Him and don’t give up.  He loves to bless that kind of tenacious faith and you will come out transformed. My friends, don’t let God go until He blesses you! Keep wrestling!

Rooted in Grace

This month our church has been in the midst of fasting and praying for 21 days as we begin the New Year 2024. A fast is a way of expressing a greater need beyond ourselves, our need of God and greater intimacy with Him. There is so much more I could say on the subject, but essentially, it’s a surrender, a renewal, a relinquishing of self, and a pressing in to the very heart of God. During a fast there comes a moment when you have to come clean with God…A moment when you need to unveil your secrets, struggles, and sins… 

A moment when you need to fall full weight on the grace of God.

During my prayer time, I’ve asked the lord repeatedly what is an attribute of God that he would like to have me focus on and grow in this year? Matthew 11:28-29 says: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your soul”. I want so much to learn of Him. So, in response, I began to notice Him speaking to me each day of His bountiful “Grace.” Praise God for abundant grace! I have so many questions that I’m asking Him and little by little answers are unfolding.

Sunday at church our pastor spoke on the familiar story of David and Goliath. Even though it’s a well-known story, I’m always amazed by the layers of treasure-filled wisdom hidden in God’s holy word, layers upon layers. I’ve always thought of David as such a strong, mighty, powerful man of God. Yes, I know he sinned greatly with Bathsheba, it’s true. However, as believers why do we sometimes believe or act as though our sin disqualifies us or others from the grace of God? According to Romans 5:15:

 “If many died through one man’s trespass, how much more did God’s grace and the free gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many.” 

So, therefore, grace is that quality in God that produces free gifts for guilty sinners. 

And according to Romans 11:5-6, you can’t work to earn grace. It is free and undeserved. 

“At the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”

None of us would be saved if grace was not undeserved favor.

So back to David’s story…Over the years, I’ve grown to really appreciate David. I know that he has his clear failures, and yet he is such a compelling and genuinely good king and man. I think of him as the shepherd who became king and “the sweet psalmist of Israel”. 

(2 Samuel 23:1). I think of him as a young warrior, who fought, lions, bears and a 

9-foot 6-inch giant. And this young boy was even strong enough to draw Goliath’s massive sword from its sheath and cut through his giant neck to take off his head! That seems unfathomable! 

In 2 Samuel 17, we see David’s son Absalom rebel against his father, march on Jerusalem, and send David retreating. David’s loyal friend Hushai characterizes David to Absalom:

“You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war.” (2 Sam. 17:8) 

Not just his men, but David himself is mighty — and David in particular is expert in war.

In fact, the first time Scripture speaks of David, even before the Goliath account, he is introduced by one of Saul’s servants not only as “skillful in playing” but as “a man of valor, a man of war” and “a man of good presence.”

“Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” (1 Samuel 16:18)

Eventually, in celebration of David’s many feats we read of women dancing in the streets, singing of the strength they see in David: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands”. David grows up to be a fierce warrior and Saul sets David over the men of war. Then in order to win Saul’s daughter as his bride, David brings the king two hundred Philistine foreskins. Even later we hear of David leading thirty thousand warriors in battle and being victorious wherever he goes (2 Sam. 8:6). At the end of his life, the reason God gives as to why David will not be the one to build the temple is that he is “a man of war.” The Bible further describes him in 2 Samuel 22 He “can run against a troop,” and “leap over a wall” (verse 29).

He writes that God “equipped me with strength” (verse 32) and “made my feet like the feet of a deer” (verse 33). God “trained my hands for war,” he adds, making his arms strong enough to “bend a bow of bronze” (verse 34). To be sure, an amazing physical specimen, a fierce warrior, an all-around mighty man is king David!

Yet, as David celebrates God’s good provision of physical, prowess, David makes a striking claim in verse 35. To me this takes David’s manhood to a brand-new level, and surpasses the glory of slaying a giant in his youth. He says to God in 2 Sam..22:36, “Your gentleness made me great. Did you hear that? He’s telling God, “Your gentleness made me great.

David is saying physical manifestations are not what made him great. He is saying it was God’s gentleness that made David greatWhat does it mean that God’s gentleness made him great? We might understand this in two ways. One, God had been gentle with David. David had flaws, many failures and sins. God could have rejected him and cut him off from the throne at any point. Yet God was gentle with him; he was gracious with him. And what’s more, David recognized the fact. Ladies, I’m talking “Grace” of God. Gentleness is graciousness. Gentleness is “Grace.” David did not deserve it, but God was gentle with him. Actually, I think David is saying even more here. Not only had the omnipotent God been gentle with David, but God’s own gentleness with David had changed David. God’s own grace had come to take root in David’s heart and characterize his own life and leadership. I’m suggesting that when David grew in His relationship with God and came to the throne and wielded kingdom power, he did so with gentleness. He did so with “Grace.” In humility and gentleness, David chooses to let Saul go free, even though he could have seized the kingdom from Saul. Even after Saul’s death, David takes initiative to show kindness and gentleness to make provision for the house of Saul. In fact, there are many more instances where David demonstrated gentleness and grace.

The greatness of David is not that he slew the giant Goliath. 

The greatness of David is that as a man he slew the giants in his own warrior’s heart: arrogance and pride, selfishness, unrighteous anger, petty disputes, personal offenses, and luxuries. David was a great king, and the type of the Anointed One to come. He was a man who was not weak, but strong, brave, kind, patient, and gentle. David, having learned from God’s own gentleness with him, learned how and when to be gentle with others. Rooted in grace is greatness!

1.”For by grace our children and grandchildren have been saved through faith. And this is not their own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8–9

2.”But he said to our children, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

3.”For sin will have no dominion over our children, since they are not under law but under grace.”Rom.6:14 

Deceitful Questions

The most common attack of the enemy is through his questions. The enemy will do all he can to make you question: 1) What God has said and 2) Who he says you are(your identity). When he succeeds in making you ask his same questions, it always leads to deception and unbelief. On the contrary, when God is in the mix, and He leads you to start asking questions, He will always lead you to revelation and ultimately greater faith. You can readily tell what the enemy fears about your life by what he attacks. When the Israelites were nearing victory in the Promised Land, it was then that the enemy attacked with fear, deception and unbelief. Sadly, only Joshua and Caleb had courage to fight for the promises of God.  The others succumbed to fear and unbelief.  With some of my own family conflicts, I’ve come to realize that what the enemy fears about my family life, is the incredible power and strength that unity would bring to our family. Therefore, the enemy attacks and tries to bring division wherever he can. When I focus on my own fears and listen to the doubting questions of the enemy, it weakens my resolve to stand for God’s promises for my family.

In Genesis 3, the enemy deceived Eve with his first question. 

“Did God really say, You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden?”

“Did God really say?” was the first deception. Many people have fallen away as they begin to question the truth of God’s word. However, the Bible is the only book in existence where the author shows up when you read it. It’s alive and His words give life. Others have fallen away because they were confused by His word and don’t fully understand certain passages, so they reject the word and ultimately reject God.

I love Peter’s response to His lack of understanding in John 6:

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

 Many disciples left Jesus after that day because they couldn’t understand and they were frustrated by what he said. 

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

That’s it folks!  You have the words of eternal life! Even if we don’t completely understand the word, even if we don’t completely understand His time frame, His plans, and all the “whys” that can flow from our mouths, 

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

To repel the enemy’s attacks, we must abide in God’s word. Abide means to let the word become us. We are designed to hear from God. We are designed to perceive Him. 

In Luke 3 Jesus had just been baptized and God spoke from heaven saying: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” What an incredible moment! What an incredible word! Then Luke 4 states that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. In the wilderness, “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

 Note this phrase… “If you are the Son of God.” The last thing God spoke to Jesus before he went in the wilderness was “this is my beloved son.” Satan is attempting to make Jesus question His identity and to react defensively.

 The devil can’t change “who” you are are but he can alter your confidence in who you are, which can lead you to doubt and unbelief. The devil wanted Jesus to prove that he was the Son of God by changing a stone to bread. But Jesus did not need to prove himself and certainly not to the devil! Sometimes when we set out to prove ourselves, it becomes more of a fleshy reaction, a defensive posture, because it’s born out of insecurity. The enemy is working hard to foul up people’s identity. 

As we can see, our culture has really been listening to the wrong questions and it’s taking a toll on the body of Christ especially on our young people. “Did God really say?”  “If you are a child of God?”. The enemy will do all he can to make us question these two key areas: 1) What God has said and 2) Who he says you are (your identity). 

Lord, we pray that You would unlock our hearts that we might be fully alive to our true identity in You. Give us clear revelation to see ourselves the way You see us. Help us to stand in Your truth against all enemy attacks and guard our hearts with all vigilance (Proverbs 4:23). Help us to identify the lies, and reveal to us any places where we are chained to the past in a negative way.  Teach us to hear Your voice and not believe the enemy’s destructive lies and questions about who we are. Thank You for our uniqueness and that we are made in Your image (Genesis 1:27).  Help us to choose to believe the truth about how You see us.  Help us to live a fruitful life and overflow with Your love to others. Give us greater authority in our prayer life. Thank You for the identity we have in You. Help us to live out this truth in our lives every day. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen

In The Middle

Today, “In The Middle” is a phrase I’ve been pondering in John 19:16. There’s so much in those 3 words: “Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus “in the middle”.

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, we know that there were two criminals that were crucified with Him. At the cross, Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12), one at his right side and one at his left. We would not be amiss in reasoning that the one criminal might represent unbelieving humanity who chooses to reject Christ, while the other represents believing humanity who sees the necessity of repentance and extends His hand to Jesus.

Moreover, both criminals insulted Jesus (Matt 27:44). However, after a time, one of the criminals had a change of heart and repented: “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:41-43) Although both men were in Jesus’ presence, only one man, even though a criminal, chose to receive Jesus and the unconditional love and eternal life He offered him.. “In the Middle” was such a key position for Jesus and it is also for us, as His image-bearers.

In another story “…when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ “NEITHER,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua obeyed” (Joshua 5:13-15).

“NEITHER?” “Did He say neither?” What a startling response? “No choosing of sides?”… just focusing on a Holy God, on Holy ground, submitting in prayer, and obedient to God’s direction.

Today we see so much division and infighting among both believers and unbelievers. There is so much pressure to take sides and cancel out those who don’t follow suit. Today, I was imagining Jesus hanging on the cross” In the Middle” and thinking about all He represents: truth, unconditional love, faithfulness, peace, intercession and more. By the grace of God, may we choose to stand “In the Middle” surrendered to Jesus, and as He did on that cross: forgive our enemies, love the unlovable, share the truth of His Word with others, and cry out for the lost and those who persecute us. Lord may we not breed hatred and division through gossip, judgment of others, condemnation and self-righteousness. Father, persecution has escalated and the Great Accuser is trying with all His might to divide, tear down and destroy the churches, the believers, our witness and our ministries. May we not be entangled in taking sides, but rather position ourselves “In the Middle” with Jesus. By no means is this a weakened, inactive position. If we believe that, then perhaps we do not understand the fullness of the power that resides within us. May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to take an active position “In the Middle “with Jesus. After all, the One “In the Middle” arose, and in that one single, power-filled moment, mankind was changed forever !

Blessings to you,

Karen

Glorious Vision

Often times we need signs to get where we want to go. Those signs are realities that point to a greater reality as we travel on our journey. For example, an exit sign is real, but it points to something greater… the exit. We don’t need signs when we travel on familiar roads. But, if we go in where we’ve never gone before, (a star-trek ☺ journey), we will need signs to get there. On that journey as a believer, “revelations” from God become those wondrous signs to guide us. The key to navigating those unfamiliar roads and shifting seasons of God is the “Spirit of Revelation”. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” Ephesians 1:17.

It’s been said, ”What I know will help me, but what I think I know will hurt me.” It’s the Spirit of Revelation that helps us know the difference. Hosea 4:6 states “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you”… Isaiah 5:13

Therefore my people go into exile for their lack of knowledge and their honorable men are famished and their multitude is parched with thirst.” Those scriptures are difficult to read and even more difficult on the receiving end. Let’s face it, we can really set ourselves up for a “pain walk” when we really don’t understand what to do and how to do it, but we try to fake it anyway.

The word “Destroyed” in Hosea 4:6 means to cease, to be completely cut off. Without revelation we are completely cut off from the purposes of God on the earth. We can be busy with the Lord‘s work, yet separated from His purposes. Just ask Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)… We talked about these two ladies a few weeks ago, but their story is so apropos in this topic as well. The word of God has such an unlimited range of perspectives. Remember Martha was found busy working “FOR” others and “For” His presence, while Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus “IN” His presence. Poor Martha. Maybe Martha was trying to win Jesus’ approval through pleasing Him with food. Hospitality was pretty important in that culture. We could say Martha had a good motive or did she? Or was Martha a people-pleaser or just works-oriented like so many others… Work before Jesus! Not good. However, Jesus wasn’t there asking for anything. He was there to share the truth of His word and His presence with them. He wanted a relationship with them. And a relationship with Jesus requires that we not just do works or pray and talk “at” Him, but that we take time, sit, wait, and “listen” to Him. What an incredibly intimate opportunity she missed. But Martha had no revelation of His purpose, because she wasn’t listening to Him. She was too busy. We’d rather be “IN” His presence than working “FOR” His presence, right? Sometimes we are just so busy working “FOR”…that we end up missing out on intimate moments with Him and in knowing what He really wants us to do. Jesus admonished Martha saying, “Mary has chosen the better part.” Doesn’t that make you want to take a moment and reassess what you are doing and why? Am I spending as much time “IN” His presence so that my work will be done “FROM” His presence, and therefore, more ordered, organized and multiplied by Him. I’m convicted…Definitely! After all, greater access to Him means greater fruit for His Kingdom.

You know, I really like that girl Mary. I’m so grateful to be blessed with friends like her ☺. And what about that other passage mentioned above in Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore my people go into exile for their lack of knowledge and their honorable men are famished and their multitude is parched with thirst.” Isaiah 5:13”

Yikes…“Go into exile” means to remove, to be exiled from his purposes. Why? Because they were unfit to carry the weight of such a responsibility apart from the spirit of revelation working in their lives. It is costly to have access to knowledge and not use it (Luke 12:56). The word “knowledge” here is experiential knowledge, intimate knowledge. Revelation leads to a God encounter and that encounter forever changes things within us and within others. In fact, those encounters can change our world. Revelation means to lift the veil or remove the cover. Revelation gives us access to the realms of greater anointing available for our children, our grandchildren and for us.

1) Father may the spirit of revelation rest on us. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give to us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him having the eyes of our hearts enlightened, that we may know what is the hope to which he has called us, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.” (Ephesians 1:17-19.)

2) “Open our eyes, that they we behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18)3) “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5) Father we ask you to generously pour out your wisdom and spiritual understanding on us.

4) “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18) Father may we have eyes to see what the Spirit is doing. Fill us with fresh vision and order our steps to complete your works.

5) The New King James Version of the above verse says “Where there is no revelation. The people cast off restraint.” In other words they cannot restrain themselves from doing things that work against the purposes of God for them. Father, may we be filled with Your revelation and spiritual understanding. May we restrain ourselves by your spirit from temptation to disobey you Father. May we sit at your feet regularly, listen attentively and obey you. May we rise up by your Spirit and demolish every plan of the enemy to defeat us in Jesus’ name. Amen

***You know, I’ve heard it said…”Well, we need more Martha’s in the world to get the job done.” But that is simply not true. An encounter with Jesus breeds “passion” in our hearts, and a “passionate worker” will far out work a servant’s heart every time!

Blessings, Karen