by RobertCummins | Sep 27, 2013 | 39. Spaciousness
John 8:31-38
Mankind lives under the strain of mystery; unanswered questions plague him at every level. Where did we come from? Who am I? What is my purpose? As he comes up with the wrong answers to these questions, he makes and executes plans on his wrong answers perpetuating misery through time.
One of the biggest wrong answers I believe mankind has ever entertaimed is in regard to his origin. The origin of our specie was not primordial matter. It was the mind of God. This wrong answer is toxic because it precludes the One who preceeded our beginning from our beginning. Removing the Answer to our problems from the dialogue about our problems was a masterfully sophisticated strategy that has enslaved millions. Ultimately the only person who will be able to diagnose and address our problem is Jesus Christ. This is why;
“I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”
Because Jesus had been with the Father, he knows precisely what has gone wrong. The DNA of darkness entered into mankind at the Fall making him susceptible to lies that satan has masterfully woven into societies throughout history enslaving them to philosophies, religions and folly in general. It is the ideas that flow from these poisoned wells that Jesus is talking about. These are the things we have heard from our father (satan) that we then go out and do. In a sense our problems can be traced to our pedigree. Who is our father? Are we chidren of satan’s darkness (deception) or are we children of God’s Light (Truth)?
Since we have the Holy Spirit, the Couselor and Spirit of Truth, can we as Christians be deceived? I believe so. Keep in mind who Jesus is speaking to in our passage; “Jews who had believed in Him”. So, it is to believers Jesus delivers the hard word; that it is possible that….
“My word has no place in you“.
The only way I can make sense of this passage is to conclude that these young believers had lived their lives, as we have, being conditioned by the things the father of our fallen natures has fed us throughout our lives, enslaving us. Jesus gives them the remedy for their dilemma and ours.
“and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
This was offensive. “What do you mean! We have great pedigrees. We are the offspring of Abraham. We have never been enslaved!” Jesus more or less said if you have practiced sin, you have demonstrated your enslavement. Then he makes a peculiar statement, one that I have struggled to understood but may have some new light on.
“And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.”
I think the Lord may have been saying that ultimately if we “abide” in (honor and heed) His Word, the truth will unscramble and transform our minds, which will eventually convert us from our slave mentality to that of sons who will live forever in the Father’s presence. I think its possible that slaves will not remain in the house forever because over time, by way of our abiding in His word and walking in His Spirit, the Truth will liberate and convert us into sons – those who have been led out of the enslavement of darkness.
Just as these Jews were deceived into believing that their pedigree exempted them from deception, Christians too are deceived into believing they are exempted. These Jews were offended and so are we when someone implies we are not free. As one who has dealt with some post-conversion deception, I would encourage you to pay attention to the things that offend you. Remember these Jews reaction to the Truth; “What do you mean?!” We do the same thing and then we too present our pedigrees, “I am Christian. I am not deceived!” In my ongoing journey out of religious darkness, I am discovering that what offends me is a key to discovering the specific lies I am enslaved to. Yes. I would encourage you to keep in mind that if you are one, like me, who has always found himself innocent on all counts, you are demonstrating the strongest evidence of your slavery.
You may be saying,”Well thank God I’m not offended with anyone. I guess I’m clean”. All I can say is, “Good luck with that.” I am not a professional counselor. I am a new creature who is being set free, who is offering an opinion, but I believe that some lies are buried so deep into our identities that we have perfected patterns of thought, enabling us to live in denial (darkness and deception). For those of us in this camp the solution is the same;
“The Truth (is the only thing that) shall set us free“.
Father, glorify Your Name as You continue to lead us out of our slavery to corruption and into the freedoms You have purchased for us. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 26, 2013 | 39. Spaciousness
Deuteronomy 11:8-32
Are spiritual droughts self imposed?
As we Oklahomans drive across our state we see ponds that are drying up. We see fields and even tree tops browned by drought. Most of us know that drought translates into massive losses. The farmer knows, perhaps better than anyone, the value of water. These conditions make the following verses (11,12) all the more attractive.
“For the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year.”
Oklahomans are praying, but when and in what form moisture comes is beyond our power to choose. But the Lord is saying to Israel, and I think us as well, that He has a space that exists right now that is well-watered and available and that we must choose it. Verse 13 goes on to say how Israel, and we, can choose to possess this land.
“And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that I will give the rain in its season, the early and the late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you shall eat and be satisfied.”
Regarding these commands, the Lord goes on to emphasize their importance;
“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
Often, in my conversations with other believers I sense an excitement about well watered lands and spiritual possibilities but when this condition about obeying His commands comes up, I often see countenances fall because they have not impressed God’s words onto their hearts. They feel this somehow has disqualified them as genuine followers. If you fall into this category, I just want to say; be strong and take courage because not even that condition can separate us from the love of God. Mastery of bible knowledge is great but its not what creates abundant life. The Pharisees were the tragic proof of this.
After placing our trust in Christ and becoming God’s children, we were not commanded to become bible scholars. We were called to walk in obedience to the light we have. There is no value in feeling inferior or guilty. The motivation of guilt and shame do not lead to God’s heart. They will not lead us to any kind of promised land at all; they are evidence of spiritual slavery. So then, if we are deficient in our understanding of scripture, why not simply set a new course.
First; let’s abandon the old coordinate that has locked us in as one who will just never know the scriptures well. “Will just never” is a fatalistic and irresponsible attitude that is incompatible with God’s Spirit within us. Second; let’s log a new coordinate onto the map of our heart that says the scriptures are important and I am able to grow in my knowledge and understanding of them. The rational being; If that were not so God would not have commended it. Third; begin taking one step at a time (choosing life) through initiatives in better understanding God’s Word. Hint; Being obedient (acting on) a few key truths will take you much farther than intellectual mastery of many texts.
Regarding scripture; They are a priceless treasure. Our new hearts are formatted to understand the spirit of the bible story. Few things bring transformation like regular reading of scripture. Find a translation that suits you and begin reading. All scripture is inspired but for a person living under the new covenant, the gospels and the apostle’s letters are shining the most relavant light on our paths. The Old Testament reveals the nature and the heart of God as it was expressed to His original chosen ones through the The Law. But today, the new covenant is the access point to the land, that by way of God’s grace in Christ, is flowing with milk and honey.
Also, like a good farmer, place the appropriate value on Living Water. This is a reference to the Holy Spirit – the One who unlocks our hearts to understand God’s words and personalizes them to us so that we may obey them. We are so blessed to have revelation via the scriptures! At the same time, I think it is also valuable to keep in mind that God turned the world upside down without the bible (at least as we know it). My point is not to devalue the scriptures. I cherish them. But, I also highly esteem and honor the Holy Spirit’s ability to speak to us personally. It is sad that this area has become a schism within the Body of Christ. Even though this stance seems to win me only the limp right hand of fellowship, I am betting everything that the Word vs. Spirit-schism will end up a “both the Spirit and the Word” rather than an “either the Spirit or the Word story.
The Lord is continually inviting us to come possess this land He has secured for us; this land that drinks water from the rain of heaven. Our hearts are dependent on the words that have been spoken from God’s lips. The bride of Christ will one day be presented to God having been washed by the words that He has spoken. Our hearts are destined to be confronted, adopted and healed by His Word. We must come personally to Him and learn to drink from His Spirit and His Word.
Regarding preaching and teaching; Just listening to the teachings and sermons of others is not much more than getting a droplet of His words. Just listening weekly or biweekly to someone else’s revelation is living the Christian life vicariously through a mediator, someone that we have allowed between us and God. Becoming conditioned to this tradition creates passivity. Toxic charity exists when we allow others to do for us what we need to do for ourselves. If we are just attending somewhere as a listener, we have become part of a spiritual welfare system where an inordinate dependency on knowledge and upon another to feed and water us has replaced the choosing of life that is ours alone to do. God wants us to personally taste and see that He is good.
The best preaching creates thirst. It demonstrates that His words are accessible and understandable to all, not just the articulate or the well-read. The best teachers model and instruct how we can and must personally develop a life style of turning to God’s Word and His Spirit. Numbers or membership alone are not the best measurements of good preaching and teaching. It is a flock of people who have learned to personally love God’s Word and His Spirit and are telling their own stories of God’s activity and transformation. I believe this is why the NT Church turned the world upside down and I suspect that is why the traditional western church has not.
Father, may you awaken our thirst and relieve us of our drought. May we see the latter rains overtaking our parched and thirsty hearts. May we see the springs from within us erupting with new Life. May Your Holy Spirit nurture our hearts such that new wine can be contained there. May we drink and be satisfied. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 25, 2013 | 39. Spaciousness
Genesis 26:12-22
“At last the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” (26:22)
This statement was made by Isaac, a man we know (from verse 12) who had become rich, that he had continued to grow richer and that he eventually became very wealthy. Isaac was materially set as we say, yet his words of relief, “At last” indicate that wealth had not insulated him from all distress. It is interesting that Isaac’s prosperity only insulated him from relationship. His neighbors deemed him too powerful and took measures to distance themselves from him.
Isaac’s relief came because he found an uncontested well of flowing water that he could claim. It didn’t matter how wealthy Isaac was, without water he would die. Down deep the water had been flowing all along. It was just that the Philistines had filled the wells up with earth. Isaac had to expend his own energies in reestablishing the access point to this water on which his life depended.
I had been aware, mostly because of songs we sang, that there was a well of living water that was supposed to be bubbling up from within me. I believe, if I am remembering the song correctly, I was to have; “Joy, joy joy – joy, joy, joy.” I may have been mouthing the words, but in my heart it was really more like, “I wish I had” joy, joy, joy.” For years it had felt as if someone had filled my well up with dirt. In case you have never been there, it is very disheartening to stand from week to week mouthing words that someone else had written from their place of jubilation or revelation. It feels like something in us is dead but we usually just turn the page and mouth the words to the next song. We then leave the assembly and do the same thing with our lives. We just go through the motions.
My at-last moment and season of bearing more fruit began after I finally acknowledged that I was dying of thirst. Something in me, perhaps crying out from that deep well within, finally stood up and said, “I cannot just go through the motions of Christianity! I know this is not the life Jesus died to give me!”
I knew there was living water down there in my heart. I had seen the stream before but I had no clue who filled it up or what it had been filled with. Oh, I thought I knew who the Philistines were who were responsible but the Lord was not pleased with my finger pointing. It became clear that he was asking me to choose life and that meant that I must spend the necessary time and energy digging deep enough to uncover the well that God and I both knew was there.
The much abbreviated story is that it was religion that had been dumped into my well. And, as much as I hated to admit it, my hand was in on every self serving, guilt and shame-laden shovel full that was thrown in. God did not leave me without help in my excavation project. A few mentor-counselor types and friends were working along side me. I will never forget as we were getting near the bottom and I could once again begin to taste the living water and how perfectly delicious it was. My thoughts were “Oh Lord, You have been there all along!” It was almost worth the thirst just to have it quenched! My heart was saying, “Ah, at last!”.
As we are rehydrated with His Spirit our gifts will emerge which will also make a place for us. Life of the abundant type that Jesus offers is very attractive! Thirsty people will be drawn to it. There will come a day in our lives, if we do our part in maintaining the wells, that Living Water will overflow from our lives into the lives of those around us. This, I am convinced, is normal Christianity.
The great danger is that in our hearts we would learn to think of that life we established, of going through the motions, as normal. If you feel something deeply dissatisfied within you that you can’t quite identify, don’t ignore it! It is likely your thirst beginning to find expression. Give voice to it. In His presence, take responsibility for your heart. Grab your shovel and start digging! Pray it out. Cry it out. Journal it out. Speak it out. Find help. Don’t do as I did and point your finger at the church, or the Philistines around you, or your circumstances. They are not responsible for our spiritual condition. We are. Living water can make an oasis in the midst of any desert. It is up to us. We must choose life!
Father, awaken that militancy of spirit within us that has the courage to say “No!” to all that is beneath Your kingdom values of righteousness, peace and joy. Help us to see that You have purchased abundant life for us and that it is ours for the taking. Help us to say “yes” to our thirst. Help us to discover the well that is ours. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 23, 2013 | 39. Spaciousness
Psalm 31:1-8
“And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a large place“. (verse 8)
Our local fellowship hosted a pair of counselors for a mini-conference they Called Healing Life’s Hurts. They were quite experienced and did a great job talking to many of us, for the first time, about our hearts – that space that was decimated by the fall; that space which for true believers was reclaimed when they were reborn. It is my sincere prayer that the inner workings of the heart will not always be an alien topic within the local church. Since our hearts have become His temple and as such, the dwelling place of God on the earth, it is essential that He has His way in this holy space.
“…..from the heart flow the springs of life”. (Pr 4:23)
Because of the way Christ moved in to the space of my heart when I was 23 I assumed, by the rearrangements He initiated there, that this was His space exclusively and that His primary mission was to reside there, as living Truth, and do and say whatever He wanted. It was, and still is, my understanding that my life would be a journey, with Him as my shepherd, that would result, if I would cooperate, in a heart that would some day resemble His. Discovering, painfully, early on that I could limit my cooperation, it was only natural for me to latch on to the prayer of Psalm 139:23-24; “Search me oh God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way“.
Traditionally, from our pulpits, we present doctrines, biblical truths – and describe how they should effect our lives but the two presenters in our mini-conference were taking a different approach. They were just talking, not really preaching, about how life in a fallen world had shaped, or more accurately misshaped that space within us and fouled the spring from which life should flow. Their knowledge of scripture, and the testimonies of lives changed were reaching people. Perhaps their biggest credibility builder was their own stories of how God had operated in the messy space of their own hearts. They were speaking to us on our level as fellow sojourners.
I love the scriptures. I respect those who study and preach from the bible. I appreciate the scriptural knowledge they have imparted to me over the past four decades. But, in recent years I have realized that my heart has languished in this preacher/parishioner exchange. On he other hand it had been growing thirsty. Along the way, as I have sought to quench my thirst, I have discovered that my heart has its own language. I hear that language when I listen to those with battle scars – saints who can talk about the skirmishes and the battles they have personally fought. My heart seems to say, “They have credibility. They have earned the authority to speak to my heart. If the voice seems theoretical or inexperienced I have noticed that I shy away.
If there is a language of the heart it is surely the first language of the Good Shepherd. Listen;
“To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice, and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3-5)
I maintain a dialogue with believers from many different camps. Some have just walked away from the main camp convinced no one was listening back there. They may have been addressed as brother or sister but all too frequently, the pastor didn’t even know or remember their names. Could it be that a reason our churches are shrinking is that the sheep do not hear a language their hearts intuitively understand and are thirsting for?
I think an interesting book would be Exit Interviews That Never Happened Subtitled; The High Cost of Not Listening. It would have the heart level testimonies of common folks. They would just say with honesty, without the fear of guilt trip-reprisals, what’s on their heart about the organization they just left or the one they remain a part of because they don’t know what else to do. If there is anything I have learned as a business manager and a former elder, it is that; the best asset I have, next to people of course, is my ears. I have observed that the ears of some work and that the ears of others do not.
I would differentiate between “hearing”, which is the reception of sound waves on the inner machinery of our ears and “listening”, which I would define as the translation of those sound waves into a language grasped by the heart, where there are emotions, like sorrow and joy, and where stories, both good and bad, are valued as highly as data that can be processed logically and stored away.
Could it be the migration that has been documented by George Barna, as well as by others, away from the main camp into smaller camps, can be explained by sheep being attracted to places, usually much smaller ones, where they hope to find others speaking their native tongue – this language of the heart. And just maybe they would like to find a place (like the bar in Cheers) where their name is remembered?
Thou hast set my feet in a large place“. (verse 8)
The “larger place” where the Lord has set my feet, as the Psalmist has spoken of, is the kingdom of God. My hearts is dramatically enlarged when I discover that this eternal kingdom overlaps my own heart and is in fact in my heart. I have discovered communities of people who are grappling with kingdom language. Even though their dialects are slightly different, I have cherished the opportunities I have had to hear their stories. For the record, I have observed that listening, is always apart of the Shepherd’s language. It is doubtful if we can love without listening. Along with “Open the eyes of our hearts Lord”, perhaps we should sing, “Open The ears of our souls Lord, open the ears of souls.”
Father, may you call Your Body in all its fragmented pieces back together. Help us to learn this dialect of the heart that we all can understand which we have in common. Teach us how “listening” promotes healing. Raise up true shepherds, fluid and eloquent in this language, who can serve as connecting tissues throughout the Church. Glory and honor and power to Your Name Lord forever more. Amen.
