Joy and Celebration (Saturday) – Revelation 19:6-9

Joy and Celebration – Revelation 19:6-9

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” … Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

In Middle With Mystery we often wade off from the shoreline into deeper waters but with Revelation, one step, and we are in over our heads. What are we to do with the Book of Revelation? There is not much practical application here unless it is to make sure our wardrobes are predominantly white. There are lot of people dressed in white in this book!

I’m writing at a friend’s desk who happens to be named John who happens to be an apostle within a network of intercessory warriors. Being big on divine-coincidence, I look around for anything else that might just be happening. On the book shelf right in front of me I see it. It is Storm Warning by Billy Graham, who also wrote Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.

In his books, he exposes the great harlot of Babylon who seduces men into affairs with this world. However, while they are drunk with greed, the saints are forming a vision of their Father’s kingdom. John’s book is high protein revelation to the faith-infected souls absorbed in the “more” of God. Revelation even adds particulars to mysteries such as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb …

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

The apostle Paul knew how to dress himself for this occasion. He knew better than to dress himself with his flawless resumé and his Jewish pedigree. Paul saw everything he was or might have been, as buried in Christ. He also saw himself as being raised up, perfectly clothed in Christ. Christ alone constituted Paul’s wardrobe. He was convinced Jesus was due considerable honor which he had not yet received on earth. With all the saints, Paul longs for this banquet where Jesus will be honored and worshipped in a manner worthy of his stature.

It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

 

It was no longer Paul who lived but Christ lived in him and through him. As it is with all saints, Paul had to learn how to labor in the yoke of Christ, how to carry the burden so that it was light. The life of a saint is a simple and yet mysterious experience. Jesus himself must ultimately show us how to make ourselves ready and cloth ourselves in fine linen, bright and clean. 

Father, may we hear afresh your invitation to draw near. May we stir afresh the gift of Christ that we may live out of your limitless life, escaping the restrictions of our time bound and diluted thoughts. Through you and by you and for you Lord; may our hearts be made ready with praise. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to you. May our voices blend and add to the sounds of many waters saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” Amen.

 

 

Joy and Celebration (Sunday) – Isaiah 55:6-12

Joy and Celebration – Isaiah 55:6-12

Imagine that day when we will awaken in that new body-phase of eternity. I doubt our first morning thought will be a fuzzy, “Ugh, another day.” No. It will be more like, “Whoa, something is up! This is going to be an amazingly wonderful day!” The next thing we hear is a rap on the door; its Jesus himself. After a long warm embrace, he wipes away our tears, he looks us in the eye and says, “You are right, something is up and it is certifiably wonderful, but you are also wrong, there are no more days and nights. There is no more darkness.” And then Jesus adds, with a wink, “My voice is familiar isn’t it?”

Being a journal junky (one addicted to reflection and writing) I have imagined a journal entry in heaven reading something like this …

Date / Time / Place  – Hmm / Hmm / Heaven (I assume)

I went out today with joy and was led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills broke into shouts of joy before me, and all the trees of the field clapped their hands. It was awesome!!!

It was so true that the Shepherd’s thoughts were not my thoughts, nor were his ways my ways. None of this newness was even on my radar! I thought he was going to destroy this place but I see it now …

For as the rain and the snow came down from heaven, and did not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so was his Word which God spoke. It did not return to him empty, without accomplishing what he desired, or without succeeding in the matter for which he sent it.

Oh how glad I am that I sought the Lord while he could still be found; that I called upon him while he was near. I am so extremely grateful for those thoughts of mine and those ways of mine he enabled me to forsake! How can I ever say thank you sufficiently to the Shepherd for drawing me back to himself, showing me his compassion and offering me such an abundant pardon? I don’t know but it appears I will have the time. (I hope Isaiah does not mind me plagiarizing.) 

Until that day, we must keep in mind that Jesus himself was the Word God spoke and that Jesus did not return to his Father empty handed. He accomplished the matter for which he was sent. He led captive a host of captives. While heaven is appealing, we are already inside eternity where the kingdom has been birthed. Right now, Jesus is the new creation. In him is Life. He was and is the Life. There is no newness of Life outside of him. These are now realities. The kingdom has both come and is coming.

Our kingdom beginnings start when we are born again. That is why Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born anew.” Must! Must!! Must!! Are you born again? If you cannot answer this question with an emphatic “Yes”, the command remains for you; “You must be born anew!” Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go straight to the Lord and seek him while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Forsake all thoughts that you might be a child of God because you have participated in a ceremony or given mental assent to a creed. Forsake the notion your morality or deeds have earned God’s favor. Forsake this self-righteous idea and the Lord will have compassion on you and he will abundantly pardon you.

Christ came as the Word Incarnate – the only Seed that can grow into kingdom newness. Truly Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. If you cannot identify newness of life in yourself and you profess to be a Christian, this MwM post may be disturbing. Keep in mind, God’s thoughts are not your thoughts. His ways are not your ways. Being disturbed is an excellent sign the Seed may be trying to germinate. Take heed; the Lord is near; this is that opportune moment to find him. Today is the day of salvation. Humble yourself. Invite the Seed into your heart.

Tell him you want him to grow there and take precedence in all matters and that your are willing to forsake your rights to nurture your old previous life. You too will find that his Word was not sent in vain, that it indeed accomplished the mission for which it was sent – the rebirth of your life. As his life takes root, and you are a good steward, you will find that very soon you too will …

Go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Father, may the gospel of your Son be spoken anew into all the traditions and institutions of this earth with kingdom authority. May the true prophets and teachers be heard. May your saints declare the clarion born again message from their own housetops. May their razor sharpened words distinguish between sentiment, ceremony, human goodness, correct doctrine and Life himself.

Heavenly Father, Your name is holy and sacred beyond human knowing. May Your kingdom flourish! May your Word succeed in every way for which It was sent. We confess to you our sins. Forgive us Father and we shall certainly forgive those who have sinned against us. Deliver us from the evils of anti-Christ messages, offering ways into the kingdom other than Jesus. May your emerging Life testify of the power, and the glory of Your kingdom forever and ever. Amen.

 

Joy and Celebration (Wednesday) – Philippians 4:4-9

Joy and Celebration – Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-9

        Oh Lord, Thy word is a light unto my path after it has been a knife unto my heart.

Actually that was not a Bible verse but most saints will understand it. I am recalling one of those knife-in-heart seasons when the idea of rejoicing in the Lord sounded like doing the hokey pokey and turning thyself about. My gentle spirit was being devoured by my inner wolverine and the Lord felt light years away. I was rating my peace in anti-shalom increments.

In this season my local church was entertaining the idea of being a presence based church (like the book by that name by Ponder and Teykl). I can still hear the mantra; A moment in God’s presence is worth years of counseling or preaching (or whatever). I had had a few powerful encounters with God’s presence. This sounded good! Our loosely formed strategy was to send people out to Holy Spirit hot spots. They would acquire the fire (like the youth rally by that name), come back and get others ignited. There was problem. It didn’t work. In fact it was devastating for those of us who believed our greatest need was a fresh blast of Holy Spirit. This was bad news for someone like myself with no wind left in his sail.

But a seed had been sown; it was The Blue Book by Jim Branch which was given to me by a spiritual friend. It sat unopened for months because I knew what it was. Like another devotional book with its structured formulaic approach to God would revive me? No, no, no. What I needed was a blast from the Holy Spirit. However, being the book browsing addict I am, I cracked open the Blue Book and it began working its magic on me. I was quickly seduced by the mysterious voices of grace – strange, yet familiar voices were speaking a language my heart understood. In the Blue Book I heard the Father’s invitation, “Come. Rest. Drink. Eat.” I’ve jotted down a few notes …

Coming. Resting. Drinking. Eating.

1. “Coming” simply means, showing up. If we show up we may discover the banquet which is perpetually set before us (even in the presence of our enemies).

2. The Blue Book has helped my table manners. It has taught me meals are meant to take time. The meal is mostly about the growing communication with those seated around the table – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

3. Resting requires chewing a bit slower, drawing the most nourishment from each bite. Meditating (mulling over) words and phrases, asking questions, inviting the Others at the table to ask their questions and make their comments. These habits all make the family dining experience more enjoyable.

4. Writing down our impressions, insights and answers will serve to build depth and continuity to the dialogue and ultimately to the relationship, which is the point.

5. Learning to pause, meditate and write (pmp) has been like letting a bucket deep down into a well. Drawing that bucket up and finding living – personalized water, has been a game changer.

6. The process is incomplete until it becomes pmw & p (p= prayer). Graham Cooke talks about crafted-prayers – ones birthed from our gut, informed by the Word, the Spirit.

God is with us. Our greatest enemy to this reality is our five senses and our minds. Only our hearts can grasp this essential reality. Our hearts must be encouraged. We must watch over our hearts (and the hearts of others) with all diligence, for from them flow all the issues of life.

Father, I pray that your scalpel might do its work cutting away all that is not true in me. Forgive me for the struggle I put up in this process. Teach us to come, rest drink and eat. So be it.

 

 

Joy and Celebration (Tuesday) – Nehemiah 8:1-10

Joy and Celebration – Nehemiah 8:1-10

The contrast between our times and Ezra’s is startling. A remnant of the Jewish nation has just returned from 70 years of captivity. They have gathered in a unified spirit of hunger and contrition, keenly aware their captivity was a result of ignoring Yahweh. They asked that the Word of God be read to them. They stood to honor the Word. They wept as its truth pierced their hearts. The officials encouraged them not to mourn and weep rather…..

              to celebrate, compose their heart in joy, for the joy of the Lord is their strength.

The United states are not unified. Our nation is split and Washington DC, our governing mind, is the bi-polar consequence. The nations of the world wait in four year cycles to see which personality they will be dealing with. On the surface of things, it appears public life is shaped by debates, elections and legislation. However, beneath the never-ending and futile political rancor our divide is a spiritual one that involves the Word of God.

At a foundational level, there is a collective attitude within a nation that either honors the authority of scripture or it doesn’t. Instead of asking that the scriptures be honored and read, our nation has decided the Bible and its Author are infringing on our personal rights. How ironic that a nation such as ours, with Christian roots, would wilt in its regard for the Bible. The courts of our land regularly take sides against God, claiming he interferers with the affairs of our nation.

We are not a nation just returning from captivity. More accurately, we are a nation on its way into captivity. Proverbs 22:7 says, “The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” We are a people and a nation drunk on credit. In our foggy state of denial, we have permitted our bi-polar Father, in Washington DC, to leverage the future of our nation for our current comfort. Could the American people elect someone who openly acknowledged our addiction? Its very unpopular to tell someone in denial they are an addict and then ask them for their vote. I think most of us see where this is going.

Whether we will admit it or not, our elected officials are a reflection of us. Most Americans, even though we think of ourselves as Christian, do not consider the scriptures as authoritative. The truth of God’s Word is not piercing the heart of our nation because it has not pierced the heart of the Church. What can we do if politics and government will not, or cannot, save us?

Check out: What Leading With Vision Really Means by Erika Andersen.
(www.fastcompany.com/3003293/what-leading-vision-really-means) From that article …

People want leaders who look beyond today. They want to have the sense there is a master plan to carry them through whatever short-term trials and tribulations arise….They look to the leader to articulate, in a compelling way, a clear and positive future state (more than 4 years) toward which they can direct their efforts. When leaders focus only on the current crisis or this quarter’s numbers, (or on making promises to get elected) it seems to us that they’re more interested in maintaining the status quo or protecting themselves than in creating a successful future. They are not seen as leaders. (parentheses mine) From; Welcome to America – The Former Land of the Free)

Today’s post may seem like a departure from my normal practice of writing about the heart, claiming it as the root of all fruit, good and bad. I’m not. I’m saying our nation’s heart is the sum of our individual hearts and it is our individual hearts which will ultimately determine our personal and corporate destiny.

While it is tempting to wring our hands in despair, concerned the pilot on this flight is drunk and is most certainly going to crash the plane, we will be better off to not storm the cockpit. Instead we must shift our dependency and focus to God – the One with whom we have to do. We seem to forget that as big and impressive as our Father in Washington is, he is not ultimately in charge. You might be asking, “So, as a Christian what can I do to make a difference?” Those were almost precisely the words Jeremiah Lamphier, a mere layman and businessman asked, sparking an awakening in 1857. (Check out The Fulton Street Revival.) Reviewing historical events such as this can awaken our faith that all things are possible with God.

To this nation, who once declared her independence from England and has more recently declared her independence from God, the Spirit would say, “Compose your hearts in contrition that you may once again find God’s favor. The Lord will then restore your land. Then you shall celebrate.” Where shall we find our hope? On our knees. There, we shall compose our hearts before the One with whom we will individually and corporately answer to.

Father, please save America in behalf of a righteous remnant. Awaken hearts who will camp in your thrown room, asking for this nation’s soul. Awaken the hearts of the Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s. May your Word pierce the veil of darkness which has blinded our nation to your love and goodness. Have mercy upon us Lord. For Jesus’ name sake. Amen.

 

Joy and Celebration (Monday) – John 15:9-17

Joy and Celebration – John 15:9-17

Here’s the deal. We cannot give or receive love, the essence of God’s greatest command, while we have walls around our hearts. Our walls exist because we have erected them over time to protect ourselves from the pain of life. The problem is that they insulate us from God and each other. I was a master builder. You may be too. I discovered that with my walls in place my life was more about religion than life. It certainly wasn’t about joy and celebration – this week’s theme. This post is about wall-demolition and, like all things, its all about Jesus.

The most scandalous and extravagant gift ever given was Jesus Christ. It was scandalous because the intended recipients were indifferent and even hostile toward the Gift. It was extravagant because of the lengths the Giver went to give it. Prior to Jesus, the distance between God and man was a chasm beyond measurement.

Once upon a time, God’s realm and ours overlapped in Eden, a place where the first man and woman walked in relational intimacy with God. However, they disobeyed and the realms of God and man separated – leaving both the earth and man’s heart, subject to futility and death.

Only a being that shared both man’s nature and God’s could restore the union between these realms. Driven by love, God satisfied the overarching laws of eternal justice by coming himself as the Son of Man. Regardless the distance, he himself has become the bridge between the realms.

For there is one God, and one mediator (or bridge) between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all…. (1 Tim 2:5-6)

This act of reconciliation was motivated by the driving force of the cosmos – love. Love will one day be vindicated as the primary and unrivaled power of all realms. Some may ask, “How can you talk about a loving God in the presence of so much evil, which a sovereign God could  prevent? All I can say is that this question will one day seem ludicrous. One day we will see that the Man of Sorrows has not only saved the tears of the hurting, he has cried them as well.

Abiding in Christ, the true vine, is the theme of today’s passage. The Mediator himself is restating love’s intention that we abide in him. Abiding means we consciously live in Christ who is our life. In Christ, the realms once again overlap, in our hearts. The unity of heaven and earth have been restored in those who have received the Gift. Abiding connects us with new realities. Many believe and become sinners saved by grace. Others abide and live as saints –  God’s sons and friends.

Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love…These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full…This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you..No longer do I call you slaves; for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things I have heard from the Father I have made known to you…,I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He may give to you.

                                         This I command you, that you love one another

Where I have spoken in his name without love I have been, at best, religious. Religion is that self-absorbed pursuit of God where there is conviction without compassion, form without substance and obedience without abiding. This is the one thing that lit Jesus’ fuse. Take a moment and consider the money changers and millstones of Matt 18:6 & 21:12.

Abiding in Christ makes truth our own and equips us to do God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. Servants who are transformed into sons reflect light. Our stories are updated as our identities are upgraded from servants to sons. We become the light of the world – the compelling message joyfully validating the gospel.

We are a letter (or story) … known and read by all men, not written in ink, but rather by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Cor 3:3.

Abiding in Christ has meant that I simply watch over my heart by receiving the Gift. By the same power he entered my life in 1976, he shot down the walls of my heart in 2012, making room for himself in a new way. MwM is all God’s aim. Being the target of his love is not always pleasant but there is no other way, if he is to be Lord. MwM tells some of my story as a prodigal. That event was fairly straightforward. However, my posts are largely the account of Father’s ways of getting an elder brother to join the party. I wanted my family to know the particulars of this story.  I wanted them to know that God expands his kingdom one heart at a time and that our hearts are the battle front of the last great battle.

Father, may we fully receive the gift of your Son. May your Spirit prevail within our hearts until every last barrier to your love is demolished. Overcome every lie regarding Jesus – your gift to us. May we live joyfully and boldly out of our new natures in Christ, bearing the fruit of your love, amending the damage we have done in your name. May love, joy, peace and celebration prevail in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

Joy and Celebration (Sunday) – Isaiah 55:6-12

Isaiah 55:6-12

Have you ever wondered about the new earth that is foretold in scripture? What will it be like? I took the liberty (since He has given me so much of it) and used my imagination to fast forward to that first day our senses are entirely awakened to newness…..

Imagine that day. You will awaken in your new home in your new body. I have a feeling that our fuzzy morning first-thoughts will be displaced with something like, “Whoa, something is up! I don’t know what is going to happen but something is telling me this is going to be an amazingly wonderful day!” The next thing we hear is a rap on the door. When we answer we are greeted by the Good Shepherd Himself. After a long warm embrace, He wipes away our tears as He looks us in the eye and with a wink says, “You are right; something is up….. and you are also correct that this is going to be an amazingly wonderful day. Let’s go. I died that I could show this to you. And see….. you can hear My voice can’t you?”

After this day (if you could even call it a day) we will write in our journals. (Yes, journals will be be kept by all those who forsook this discipline in the old earth. Several years of purgatorial writing will be required as part of a kind of remedial sainthood class.) Our entry will read……

Date: Day #1 of the New Creation

I went out today with joy and was led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills broke into shouts of joy before me, and all the trees of the field clapped their hands. It was awesome!!!

It was so true that the Shepherd’s thoughts were not my thoughts, nor were His ways my ways. None of this newness was even on my radar! I thought He was going to destroy this place! I see it now; for as the rain and the snow came down from heaven, and did not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so was His Word which God spoke; It did not return to Him empty, without accomplishing what He desired, or without succeeding in the matter for which He sent it.”

Oh how glad I am that I sought the Lord while He could still be found; that I called upon Him while He was near. I am so extremely grateful that He enabled me to forsake my ways and my thoughts! How can I ever say thank you to the Shepherd for drawing me back to Himself, showing me His compassion and offering me such an abundant pardon? I don’t know but I’m certainly going to try.

Many are using their knowledge of God and His kingdom to make the following appraisal; the kingdom of God has come and the kingdom is coming. This could also be stated, the new creation has come and the new creation has already come. It would be even more accurate to say that the new kingdom is coming because the new kingdom has already come. Let me briefly explain;

Jesus Himself was the Word that God spoke and He did not return to His Father empty handed. He accomplished the matter for which He sent Him. (Recall: He led captive a host of captives!)  Jesus is the new creation. In HIm is Life. He was and is the Life. There is no newness of Life outside of Him. 

The new creation begins and the kingdom of God begins when we are born again. That is why Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born anew.” Must! Must!! Must!! Are you born again? On this subject all I can say, is that if you cannot answer this question with an emphatic “Yes”, then “You must be born anew!  Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go straight to the Lord and seek Him while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Forsake all thoughts that you might be a child of God because you have given mental assent to a creed and live, what you think is, a morally responsible life. Forsake this self-righteous idea and the Lord will have compassion on you and He will abundantly pardon you.

Christ came as the Word Incarnate – the only Seed that can grow into kingdom newness. Truly Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. If you cannot identify newness of life in yourself and you profess to being a Christian, this particular post may be rankling to you.  Just keep in mind; God’s thoughts are not your thoughts. His ways are not your ways. Anyway, being rankled is an excellent sign that the Lord is near and that this is an opportune moment to find Him. When you think about it, what could be more natural than being rankled as His truthful ways are confronting our not-as-truthful ways and His pure thoughts our not-nearly-so-pure thoughts? Humble yourself. Invite the Seed into your heart soil. Tell Him you want Him to grow there and take precedence in all matters and that your are willing to forsake your rights to nurture your old previous life.

Then wait in His presence. (Its easy since He’s always present) and simply do the things in scripture God instructs all good stewards to do. You, as well as all the kingdom’s children have discovered, will find that His Word was not sent in vain; It indeed accomplished the mission for which it was sent; the complete redemption of our lives. As His life takes root, and you are a good steward you will find that very soon you too will, even now, go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Father, may the gospel of your Son be spoken anew into all the traditions and institutions of this earth with kingdom authority. May prophets and teachers arise with the clarion message that we must be born again. May their razor sharpened words distinguish between sentiment, tradition, human goodness, correct doctrine and Life Eternal, complete with its inevitable transformative expressions.

Heavenly Father, Your name is holy and sacred beyond human knowing. May Your kingdom flourish! May Your Word succeed in every way for which It was sent. We confess to You our sins. Forgive us Father and we shall certainly forgive those who have sinned against us. Help us to recognize temptation in its early stages and its withering effects on the implanted Seed. Deliver us from the evil of religion that would suggest there are other ways into the kingdom than by way of the implanted Seed. And may that Seed find good soil. The emerging Life will testify of of the power, and the glory of Your kingdom forever and ever. Amen.