And there was Light!

     As we begin to enter the season of Advent it might be appropriate to stop and think about what this season is all about.  Advent is a season prior to Christmas when we consider the "Coming" of Christ.  Advent comes from the Latin word that means Coming, Appearance, Arrival, Invasion or Visitation.  I like the word Invasion for in captures the nature of the forceful coming of light into the darkness of this world.
The gospel of John chapter one verse five says, "The light shines in (Invaded) the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it."  This light that invaded the darkness was the person of Jesus.  Verse four says, "In Him was life and this life was the light of men."  Yes, Jesus was the person through whom light invaded the darkness of our world those thousands of years ago, in the hill country of Judea in Israel.
     The purpose of this invasion of Light was so that darkness might be dispelled - not so much in the natural order but in the hearts of people.  When the light of Jesus comes into the heart of a person they become freed from the power of that darkness. Colossians One thirteen says it this way:  "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son."  That doesn't mean that we immediately walk free from every areas of our life that has bound us.  But it does mean that we can walk free.  Sometimes we remain bound in areas of darkness because we choose to remain bound.  That is to say, God always delivers us from our enemies, but sometimes I have not yet called an area of darkness in our life "an enemy."  Until we get to the place of recognizing the area of darkness and calling it what it actually is, we can remain bound to it.  But as soon as we call that area of darkness what it actually is and cry out, God immediately liberates us from that place where we have been bound.
     Ephesians chapter five verse eight and nine places our deliverance in the past tense.  It says, "You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light."  Light begins to establish our new identity.  We are already children of light, that is our position in Christ and at the same time we are becoming children of light.  Both are true.

Remember: Light has invaded the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it.

As you walk through this season of Advent remember we have been Invaded by Light.
Jesus is the Light of the world who has invaded our darkness.
Let Jesus have his way in your life.
He will deliver us from every power of darkness.
As he comes to live his Live in us He becomes a game changer.  We become carriers of the Light.

Now He says, "You are the Light of the World.  A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden.  Let your light so shine that people may see your good works and give honor to your Father in the Heavens." Matt. 5:14

More than we ask or think.

     I have always been intrigued with the "prayers" we find in scripture.  They give us insight into how biblical personalities viewed life and faith.  It seems to me that sometimes they (those biblical characters) were tapped into something that we have somehow lost or at least have not yet quite discovered.  For example take the Apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians chapter three.  I know that I have not yet fully realized the full impact of his prayer, but I am giving myself to meditate upon it.  So far, this is what I have come up with.
     Verse 10 seems to set the context.  God's intention is that now through the church his plan will become visible.  I take this to mean that God is doing something through the church that will eventually be astonishing.  (All of the created realms in heaven and earth will marvel at God's multi-dimensional plan.)  This eternal purpose was set in motion through Christ; his life, his death, his resurrection and our redemption and reception of the Life of His Spirit.  Because of this eternal purpose and the victory brought to us through Churst, Paul Prays this prayer in verses 14-20.  There are seven (7) clear facets that Paul prays for the church,  I will summarize them this way:

• That we would be strengthened with power by His Spirit in our inner man. 16
• That Christ would dwell in our hearts by faith. 17
• That we would be rooted and grounded in His Love. 17
• That we would be able to comprehend the fullest dimensions of God's love by revelation. 18
• That we would be filled with all the fullness of God. 19
• That we might experience His exceedingly great power at work in us, working through what we think and ask. 20
• That Christ's glory might be seen throughout the generations. 21

     Paul's seven prayer requests for the church indicate that these are aspects God's intention for us.  Paul is praying by inspiration of Holy Spirit, that we the church would begin to "get it."  That we would begin to understand and walk in the fullness of our purpose, power and destiny.  Verse 20 seems to be the high point, the climax or crescendo.  "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think, according to the power that works in us."
   
     As we walk in these seven dimensions of life in the Spirit, Paul indicates that God is ready to do more than we can ask of think.  Meaning, as we walk as "carriers of his fullness" (vrs. 19) what we think and then ask, God is ready and able to do, "exceedingly abundantly more" according to His Power that is at work in us.

     As we are filled with his fullness we can begin to trust, what we think and then ask in faith, God will do (exceedingly abundantly) in us and through us.  We need to stop looking at our limitations and start trusting in the resources of God in us to accomplish his purposes.

    Let's join with Paul in praying this seven-fold prayer for the church and watch what God is able to do. The destiny of future generations are at stake.  What will be our legacy to them?

What's the Goal Anyway?

     Many believe the goal of the Christian life is to be saved.  That language is a way of saying that a person has come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, has trusted him as his savior and has come to understand and then receive the amazing free gift of life through Jesus.  This results in an understanding that their sin has been forgiven and they have been given a totally new life in Christ.  Eph. 2:4 "But because of His great love for us God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."  What a wonderful thing it is for a person to be brought into a genuine personal relationship with the living God through Christ.

     However, it seems to me that salvation is actually an initial goal.  It is really the beginning of the greatest adventure of all.  Without this initial goal we will never be able to life in the adventure God has for us.  Salvation through the blood of Christ brings us into a relationship of Christ.  But this is just the beginning.  That is why I call it the initial goal of the Christian life.

     The ultimate goal of this new life is to actually become a carrier of the Presence of God.
Jesus came to the earth and announce the in breaking of a new realm.  A new order was established on the earth.  Mark 1:15 "The time has come, the kingdom of God is at hand.  Change your mind and believe the good news." This new order (the kingdom) not only brought people into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, it actually open the way for God to come and live his life in people.  God would establish his presence in the hearts of men. The ultimate goal then is to allow God to live His Life fully in us.  The Apostle Paul put it this way in Eph. 3:19 "That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."


     Just think, God not only brought us into his kingdom through Christ (the initial goal of coming to Christ) but God has then chosen to take up residence in us in order to display his presence for the world to see (the ultimate goal of becoming a carrier of the Presence of God.)  Too many in the church have been content to receive the free gift of salvation but have not gone on to understand that God wants to fill us fully with his supernatural presence through Holy Spirit.

      Maybe its time to go on and allow God to fulfill our destiny and fill us unto overflowing with the life of Holy Spirit.  Then perhaps we will begin to see more of the results of his life in us.  "Now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is a work with us..."  Eph. 3:20

• Coming to Christ is the initial goal.  Receive Christ and all the blessings of life in Him.
• Living in the fullness of the Presence of God is the ultimate goal.  Surrender entirely to His Presence.
• Begin to develop a consciousness of Holy Spirit's life in us and working through us.
• Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity; He is fully God and lives in our hearts to display the Presence of God.
• Ask him to begin to manifest himself more fully in and through your life.
• He will "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."  Matt. 3:11

Become a carrier of the Presence of God and watch how God moves and transforms you and others around you.

True Greatness.

     Jesus was going through the town of Galilee teaching and preaching.  He was asked about John the Baptist who was at that time imprisoned.  He addressed the crowd concerning John.  In verse 11 of Matthew chapter 11 he said these words: "I tell you the truth:  Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  These are pretty startling words and worthy of a few minutes of our time to consider the amazing implications of them.

     Consider the first part of his statement.  Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.  Jesus was saying that there has never been anyone born in the history of mankind that was greater than John.  Surly there have been great men and women in the history of the world.  But John was considered by Jesus to be the greatest of them all.   John stood as the final and last of the Old Testament prophets, declaring something entirely new and radically new.

     Throughout the Old Testament period, God had chosen to reveal himself in very specific way.  For example he chose to reveal himself to men and women through the Tabernacle.  Later he chose to reveal himself through the Temple.  Throughout this Old Testament period God revealed himself by an elaborate set of moral, civil and ceremonial laws and regulations.  These laws and regulations were established to teach us about God's character, God's nature and how human beings could approach him and be acceptable to him.  These "ceremonial" laws established how God choose to do business with people.  Secondly, throughout this O.T. period God was very selective about who might receive his presence.  The Spirit of God would only come upon certain people in order to preform specific tasks or to achieve certain ends.

     John the Baptist came at the end of this era announcing the beginning of a totally new realm.  As the forerunner of Jesus.  His message was simple and twofold:
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  Matthew 3:1-2  The time has come to "change your mind"  something totally new was at hand.  The Kingdom of Heaven; the domain of the King was about to be revealed.  God was about to fulfill all the Old Testament scriptures concerning this new realm.  Through the coming of Jesus, God would reveal himself as the means by which we could be made totally acceptable, holy and righteous through this one time and totally sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. And secondly, the presence of God would now be made personally available to every individual who would receive by faith this special gift of Jesus.   John put it this was: "I baptize you with water for repentace. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."  Matthew 3:11

     Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God would now come to us through the Holy Spirit and live his life in us and manifest His Presence through us.  God would now rule and reign in a people of his own choosing and show his presence through these people.  The "people called out" had begun.  The "Church" was born.  There was now a people on the earth in whom God would fully live.  It is in this context that Jesus said, "Yet he who is lest in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

• The "least" in this new realm would be considered greater than John and greater than all those ever born of women.
• The "least" in the kingdom would have personal knowledge, experience and access to the Father through the one time sacrifice of Jesus.
• The "least" in the kingdom would have intimate association with God because of being "baptized in and by the Holy Spirit" of God.
• God's presence would now live in us by the Holy Spirit and would be our personal power source.
• God living His life in us would now be our "Hope of Glory." Col. 1:27

     Next time you feel down and begin to think of yourself as unimportant, remember that God has done everything so that you might be free from guilt, accusation and the penalty of Sin - through Jesus.

Then remember, that because of Jesus God then sent forth His Holy Spirit to live His Life in you.  That has set you apart and has made you (even though you might feel like the lest) greater than John the Baptist and greater than all other people ever born before him.  The Kingdom of God is within you!  You are now a carrier of His Presence.

   

     




     

Taking Thoughts Captive.

     We humans are pretty complex.  I'm sure that sounds like the understatement of the century.  But if we examine how we think and feel throughout any given day, we quickly come to the conclusion that we entertain hundreds of thousands of thoughts and associated feelings each day, and unless specifically focused, all of this happens without thinking about it!  Some have called this "the stream of consciousness."  It is this deep underground spring of thoughts, feelings and individual choices that give life its variety, creativity and individual uniqueness.

     I have noticed that sometimes my feelings seem to be out of my control.  For example, on any given occasion I may feel sad, disappointed, angry or hopeless.  Sometimes I feel captured and held hostage by the emotional quicksand of the moment.  These emotions are not good or bad they just are the present reality of my internal wanderings.  However, one author (Dallas Willard) has said, "That our emotions are like unruly schoolchildren sitting on the front row of our lives."  I think he meant our feelings just are; they exist.  But, like unruly schoolchildren we can choose how much attention we give to them.

     This brings me to the point of my "wanderings" in this blog.  How much control do I have over my feelings?  How much attention should I give to those "ups" or those "downs?" Am I really captive to these emotions or can I assert or choose some alternative cognitive behavior that will give direction to what I  feel?  

     Some people think that they are stuck with their moods and the emotional tones of life.  For sure our moods and emotions can give rise to habit patterns of feelings.  We can become "moody" as the dominant expression of our life and conclude that we don't have any choice in the matter.  The heart changes everything; the heart is the central seat of governance in my life.  It is the place of my choosing.  It is the place of my will.  I can actually make a choice about how I will feel.  However, it is not by just choosing to feel differently, it is by choosing to think differently.

     I am told my thoughts originate in the part of the brain called the neocortex.  My emotions are subsequently assigned to these thoughts in another part of the brain called the Limbic System.  If this is true, then my thoughts can actually dictate by and large how I will feel in any given situation.  By exercising some discipline and focus I can choose what I think about and my emotions normally follow the thoughts I have.  Wow, I feel better already!  Don't you wish it were that easy!  But like anything, a little practice can accomplish great things.

•    Jesus said, "As a man think in his heart so is he."  "The mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart." Matt. 12:34  What you choose to think about is a really big deal and will determine how you feel, how you speak and ultimately who you are.

•    The Apostle Paul encourages us to "Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."  If we don't make that choice again and again, we can develop a "Stronghold," which is a habit pattern of thinking and feeling that no longer requires a conscious choice on our part.  It is just a plain old habit and usually results in a further downward swirl into darkness. II Cor. 10:5

• Paul furthers encourages us to "think about those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable." Maybe he knew something about how our will, our mind and our emotions work in cooperation with each other.  Phil. 4:8f.

Don't let your emotions pull you along in life without a conscious choice.  Don't allow your thoughts to just go wherever they please, you might find them in places that are not pleasing.  Exercise your choice to think in a focused and disciplined way and you will discover that you feel so much better.

   

     

Intended to Manifest God's Power.

     What if God intended to manifest his power through ordinary people just like us?  What if God actually expects us to do the miracles that Jesus did?  Maybe Jesus did all those miracles because he was really God.  Wasn't it because he was special and very different from us, that he could do what he did?  However, it may be that Jesus did those miracles not because he was God, but because he was a perfectly submitted man and totally dependent upon Holy Spirit.  He did say that he did nothing except what he saw the Father doing.  The scripture says that even though Jesus was God (Fully God and fully human) he laid aside his privilege and became a man.  That means that he did everything that he did not as God but as man.  He lived as a man.  He died as a man.  He was raised from the dead as a man.

     If this is true then that changes everything!  If Jesus did his miracles not as God but as man, then he was illustrating what we could be like when perfectly submitted to God and totally dependent upon Holy Spirit living in and through us.
     What if God intended to manifest his power through ordinary people just like us?

• Are we willing to recognize that we are "holy and acceptable" through the blood sacrifice of Jesus?
• Are we willing to press into intimacy with the Father so we are aware of what He wants to do?
• Are we listening to the voice of Holy Spirit and willing to obey him in everything he says?
• Are we willing to walk in faith and take risks even when the natural mind says no way!
• Maybe then we might begin to see God manifesting his power through ordinary people like us.

Let's go for it.  Risk failure.  Risk foolishness.  Risk making a radical difference in a desperate world.

Do Something!

     I have found that much of the church has somehow gotten bogged down.  It seems like the dominant focus of contemporary Christianity has been on the elimination of sin from our lives.  As important as that is, I think most people have a pretty good handle on the difference between good and evil, at least for those people who have a personal relationship with Christ.  Once I am genuinely willing to turn from sin and live a life that brings honor to God, what do I do next?  How do I distinguish between all the good choices in the world?  I think we have put so much emphasis upon avoiding sin and resisting evil that we have become blinded to all the amazing opportunities for doing good.  Have we defined "holiness" by what we separate ourselves from rather than what we give ourselves to.  Sin is "missing the mark."  The greatest tragedy may not be the sin we commit but the life that we fail to seize!  The risks we fail to take.

     God created us for action; for adventure.  In short, God created us to do something!  God can't be pleased when we only stop the wrong but become paralyzed when it comes to the right.  God created us to do good.  To do something.  Doing something requires initiative.  The greatest danger is hiding our apathy behind our piety.  We might look good to others.  We might feel justified.  But, now its time to do something.  James put it this way: "If you know what is right to do and you do not do it, it is sin." Maybe this is God's perspective on inaction; living a passive lifestyle.

     How would our lives be different if we chose to get involved, to get our hands dirty? What if we risked failing to do something meaningful!
   
     Some of the above thoughts came from the book entitled, Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus.  This is probably the best book I have read this year.  You might want to pick it up.  Maybe its time to do something!

Reaching Beyond Yourself!

     It seems to me that there is something beyond most of our reach.  It is the knowing that there is more to us and the almost certainty that there is more beyond us.  I mean, after all, who really thinks they are little more than an inanimate object?  I am more than a stone or a flower or a tree or an animal for that matter.  There is a basic intrinsic knowing deep inside each of us that what we see with the eye or hear with the ear is only a shallow rendition of a greater reality beyond us.
     It is this knowing and discerning what is beyond that keeps the human spirit alive and thriving.  It is our connection to the "beyond" that keeps us enthralled with life and its mysteries.  As awesome as our physical universe is, I think life might be pretty boring if I really believed that the physical was all there was to life.  True mystics are those of us who keep our spirit pointed into the wind, who keep our focus beyond what is seen and who thrill at the deep inner knowing that what we see is only a part of the larger whole.
     Paul, in the Book of First Corinthians in the New Testament seems to be pointing to this greater reality and deeper knowing when he said:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him...But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.  (I Cor. 2:9-10) 

Wow!  There is so much more.   Our eyes can't see it.  Our ears can't hear it.  Our minds can't even perceive it.  But, we can be gripped by it by the Spirit whom God has made to dwell in us.  We have an onboard, built in ability to know something about what is beyond us!  The Spirit who dwells in us reveals to us everything that the eye can't see and the ear can't hear and what the mind can't perceive.  I guess it comes down to are we listening to his promptings?  Are we dialing down and are we looking to see what he would reveal to us?
     Let the inner compass of the Spirit begin to give you what is beyond yourself!

• Quiet yourself.  Distractions and sensory overload pull us away from our conscious connection with what is beyond us, our being in touch with the God who is and who wants to be with us.
• Breath.  Settle yourself down, slow down your thinking and racing to keep up with all the demands around you.
• Listen.  The silence can be your best friend after you have detoxified yourself from all the mind and heart pollutants that come with busyness.
• Watch for what is beyond yourself.  Look for the clues all around you of God's outrageous love trying to break into your mind through your inner spirit.

Sometimes we are tossed around so much by the times we live in, the tensions around us and the demands upon us that we can't see or hear what is actually right before us.  Tune in to the eternal realm; the life of the kingdom beyond.