COME UP...

"When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him."  Matthew 3:16 (NKJV)

Isn't it interesting to note here that after Jesus was baptized by John, he CAME UP.  There was an immediate and positive change in his altitude, position and spiritual location.  The fact that the heavens opened up to him is further proof of what we can expect everytime we submit fully (immerse ourselves) in the plans of God which most often require death, sacrifice, and always complete surrender.  The providence and height of all that God has at at his disposal is opened up and available to each of us just at it was for Jesus.  We have to go down before we can ever hope to come up and achieve all that we desire in life and truly see all of what God has planned for each of us. 

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Asymptotic? - Reach One More Time

Asymptotic – a-səm(p)-ˈtä-tik

Have you ever tried over and over to pick up an object and try as you might it continued to slip through your fingers back to the ground. It’s not until you stretch (sometimes painfully) past the extent of your natural reach, that you are able to get a real good grip and apprehend the object! Imagine what the floors of your home, or your vehicle would look like if every attempt to retrieve these items was aborted due to discomfort, discouragement, or downright disgust? The SAT word found in the subject of this blog entry comes from the Greek word “asymptotos” which means, not meeting. One of the less mathematic definitions that I found was simply a line that is moving increasingly nearer to its associated curve without ever meeting or intersecting it.


I am afraid that many of us are either residing or are moving dangerously close to becoming asymptotic in our walk with God. When we begin our relationship with God it is a moment that fundamentally requires a change. There must be a change in our speech, interactions, lifestyle, thought process, and certainly a change of heart. It is interesting to ponder just how these changes often place us right up against things, people and situations that are at times, very uncomfortable. There is a consistent pattern within the word of God, in which the presence of God was most evident, when His followers found themselves in the most uncomfortable positions. Do God’s people ever really have to suffer for their faith? Let’s do a brief recap… Just as Abraham is about to slaughter his son Isaac, God speaks. The 3 Hebrew boys are actually placed inside a fiery furnace and they are greeted and protected by a Divine visitor. Paul and Silas are imprisoned and shackled in chains and the presence and power of God brings forth their release! Stephen is on his knees about to be stoned to death and he sees the glory of God and Jesus at His right hand! There is something to be said for the act of turning to face the right direction, but there is another thing entirely to be found actively moving from our respective places of comfort in pursuit of meeting and apprehending the presence of God in our lives. The change that I briefly mentioned before is not without uneasiness, discomfort and downright pain at times.

When we are actively reaching higher, deeper and further into the things of God even past the point of comfort, the good news is that we will apprehend all of what God has planned for each of us. What if the woman with the issue of blood chose not to reach out after years of struggle, one more time for her healing? There is certainly one example of a servant of God who was willing to deny the comforts enjoyed by many contemporaries. He didn’t stop at being willing but stretched himself to the point of being shamed, despised, accused, and crucified all for the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:10 explains how much God thinks of each of us and just how important it is for all of us to stretch one more time past our point of discomfort. “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to DO good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

What's The Point?

"You do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes."  James 4:13-14

So I had one of those defeating few days last week where everywhere I turned another wave of turmoil, frustration, anger, and one of my personal favorites, wasted-time seemed to overtake me.  At the height of my frustration I said to myself, "what's the point?" It is easy to become stagnated by our humanity's inability and simply lose sight of God's providential ability.  In these moments it feels as if the best solution is to curl up like a baby, admit defeat and just do nothing until it goes away.  Well if you are like I was and this is an option you are seriously considering, allow me to share a positive alternative.  When I felt myself sliding headfirst into "defeat,"  I ran as quickly as I could to my solitary and safe place of prayer, which just so happened to be a literal closet.  As I began to cry out to God and share (as if He didn't already know) what I was struggling with, it was not long before my Spirit began to declare who I was in God and soon all of those things that seemed to overpower me were not as large in my mind.  God took his rightful place in my life and His greatness became paramount.  I was able to get to a place of worship, receive instruction, and most importantly LIVE!  We have got to be busy living lives that exhibit the greatness of God in the earth, not lives that are so weary and worn down because of our issues, problems and perhaps even our sins that have somehow become greater than God. 
So what then is our response to this passage in James?  In light of this truth, should we just sit in a "morbidity-soaked" stupor waiting for our personal clocks to stop ticking? After reading what James describes as the fragility of life, it is easy for us to throw up our hands and say whats the point of living?"  If we are short-sighted and not lovers of the entire Word of God, we might miss Paul telling us in 1 Corinthians that whatever we do, must be done to the glory of God.  We all must move beyond sitting and doing nothing because we are consumed with the imminent arrival of "the end of things," and get to the place of maturity in Christ where any and everything that we are "doing" is highlighting the preeminence of God.  Pastor Francis Chan says it this way, "the point of our life, is to point to Him." 

Can You Hear Your Purpose Calling?

Image by Will Hale via Flickr

The past few months I have experienced a knowing unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It appears that my character, personality and even my preferences have all come into alignment. Now don’t get me wrong this alignment and balance does not come with the elimination of turmoil and difficulty but in the midst of the craziness of life, I have come to a place of Divine peace and inexplicable joy. I have often heard from "my elders" that as you grow, you come to a place where you are moved less by your questions and more by your answers. It seems that while you are in your teens, there is this endless line of rebellious questioning that you subject not only yourself, but your parents, friends and associates to. By your twenties you take a step back from the constant barrage of antagonistic responses to what is "normal" or expected and begin to really investigate areas that were off-limits as an adolescent. Your new-found adulthood leads you to decisions that at the time not only threatened to define who you were, but also seemed to chain you to some ideal of who you would become. I am so glad that as I mature not only in years but also in my relationship with the Lord that I understand that regardless of our blatant teenage rebellion, and the wanderings of our twenties that we are and have always been a child of God, whose purpose was designed even before we took shape in our mother's wombs!!! We have got to take the tremendous weight of decision off of our shoulders and practice (even in the small things) to completely DEPEND ON GOD, not just in the Divinity and power of God, but trust the plan of God for our lives. I am talking about a dependence that will allow you to release the angst and turmoil that is life; regardless of age, relationships, career, family, expectations, and finances to truly trust that the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life will get you to and as a matter of fact already has you at your place of Purpose. Even as I conclude this blog and hit send and all of the noise of life comes flooding back to my consciousness, I have the amazing opportunity to say to all of it, "Be quiet, I can hear my purpose calling!"

"The Sin-Filled Savior"

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Amidst the mindless and at times unsavory television programming, there seems to be an unprecedented amount of court shows on television. There is always some new celebrity or individual (looking for their 15 minutes of fame) who are defending their cause and giving reasons for their actions. Those who are unsuccessful in their marriages head to divorce court, and if you are having difficulty retrieving money that is owed you, you may venture to The People’s Court. There is an ever-increasing need for conflict resolution and/or mediation by a third party. It seems that while there was no television in antiquity and although the primary method of communication was written, that the churches of Corinth were in need of some resolution both socially and spiritually. They sought the seasoned and at times superfluous advice of their leader the Apostle Paul. We find that in his second letter to the Corinthians, he is almost entirely interested in defending his methods providing only brief explanations of spiritual principles. Squeezed in-between what is decidedly the Apostle Paul’s defense of his own ministry in 2 Corinthians 5:11-13 and 6:3-10 are the passionate sentiments of 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, in which Paul provides a glowing recommendation for Christ as Mediator. Within this particular text, there are both Christological and theological statements that are followed by Paul’s own interpretation of their meaning. Paul speaks about righteousness, reconciliation, and in Paul’s estimation, the conduit (or third party) by which humanity’s sin was not only contained but also eradicated in 5:21. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

It is clear in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 that Paul’s worldview has changed drastically in light of his reconciled life. By reviewing our own moments of ignorance, judgment of others and perhaps even by ignoring the injustices of the world, we are not exhibiting the kind of complete change found in an elevated character, that is congruent with the life of those who are “in Christ.” Jesus served as our personal mediator, (“third party”) singularly able to contain all of our missteps providing us with a new worldview. This worldview is illuminated by a life that is in complete harmony with God. This harmony should abolish the need to judge and persecute any of our brothers or sisters, because all of that suffering was contained and eliminated through Jesus the Christ.

You Gotta Burn...

Image via Wikipedia

In prayer this morning, God reminded me of the feeling of "burning." When I ate a burrito bowl from one of my favorite spots Chipolte, earlier this week, I bit into an onion or pepper of some kind that sent me reeling. My tongue was on fire and I couldn't pay attention to anything or anyone until that fire was attended to and fully quenched. I felt as if I could not run fast enough to the kitchen.
God told me that I have to "burn" for Him the same way. Nothing else in life should matter except for my strong pursuit of God. 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..." He said that when we begin to burn for Him, we will be like a burning bush that carried the voice, presence and purpose of God to Moses (1 man whose story has touched millions of lives). When you do not feel confident or know what to say, God will place a burning coal on our tongues like Jeremiah, or when we are defeated and ready to quit His purpose inside of us will burn like a literal fire "shut up in (our) bones." When we go out into the world and we have been burning for God we will not bring any type of irritation or infection to another person, place, or thing. Much in the way we burn a safety pin prior to pulling out a deep splinter in the body.

You Gotta Burn!

No matter how hot it gets like that bush the fire will not overtake you. In order to digest the deep, large chunks of meat in the bible and spoken words of God, it must be tenderized and "cooked" by our burning for the things of God. We have got to burn like those forest fires in California, which were so dominant in the tearing down all kinds of structures (strongholds), that it caused the entire region, state, nation and even the world to acknowledge the Power fueling the fire.

You Gotta Burn, to bring light in dark places. You gotta burn, for the glory of God to truly be seen. You gotta burn so the word can truly be a light to our feet and a lamp to our path. You gotta burn in order to remove contaminants from God's living water much like the oil spill down in the gulf coast. You gotta burn to stay warm and have a compassionate heart of flesh and not a cold heart of stone. You gotta burn because fire is necessary for survival in any wilderness. Ask any Survivor television contestant; most would kill for that piece of flint necessary to start a fire. We must set our faces like flint and our lives should truly burn for the things of God.

One of the greatest Christian leaders John Wesley was once asked how he accumulated such a vast following of people and he replied, "I set myself on fire and people come to watch me BURN!"

Circle

"The wheel in the middle of a wheel." Do we sing/say this because the Lord is constantly turning situations around for us? Is it because with Him there is no beginning or end? Without exception, I emphatically submit to you that the "Oh" in the Psalms and throughout scripture; "Oh magnify the Lord with me," and "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good," were not merely interjections or extra words. Could it be that the God, His Son(Jesus) and the Holy Spirit that we have been envisioning could be best illustrated as a circle? The idea of Jesus being a fence or angels being charged to encamp around believers keeping us from hurt, harm and danger, are familiar and comfortable illustrations. The God that sees all and is keeping watch over each of us day and night; the One that neither slumbers nor sleeps, could easily do all of this as an all encompassing circle. In the old testament, we know that God displayed His promise to man in a 'bow of color. So, what if the straight and narrow really does have a few bends here and there? I fully believe that believers must fully align with the word and will of God, however, God in His infinite providence is well-able to wrap himself around each of our lives and is more than flexible enough to work around each of our misgivings, attitudes, and shortcomings. It is quite possible that everywhere and anywhere we turn we can see God. Perhaps this is why He is prone to respond at the eleventh hour, for even the method of measuring time is round. At the eleventh hour it is the latest moment before reaching the maturity and fullness of the twelfth hour. Then round we go again! Perhaps this is why it is so important to be in the timing of God, because if it doesn't flow in time it will interrupt the fluidity of the circle, which is the plan and purpose of God in our lives. In striving to be well-rounded and not one-dimensional in our lifestyle, habits and relationships, I am sure it will be easier to be like Christ. Not limiting our minds to "the earth is flat" religious traditions and rituals; we can expand and give the Lord the immense amount of space needed for Him to maneuver and have His way in our lives. Thinking outside of the box seems to flow right into the Lord's desire for true change. At no time in the bible does the Lord use common sense to rid people of their ailments, hurts, fears and chains. No, our Father uses round about approaches to promote change, and see abandonment of all those things that oppress His people. I believe that both His desire for change and His method for achieving it, are still true today. The Lord wants each of us to be receptive and obedient to his promptings no matter how out of the way they appear. In that obedience we are given deliverance and an opportunity to break free from sin, repent and truly change. In this circle there are no outliers or outcasts, which leaves no room for competition within the body of Christ. With a seasoned leader and a brand new believer, taking their respective places, the Lord is able to give equal attention and love to all. So rather than getting in line, let's roll ourselves into Christ. Even as the trumpets sounding the clarion call blares through a circle and the timbrels of praise are made up of colliding circles producing sound, let's begin to see ourselves as part of the never-ending circle of Christ and abandon our thoughts of self, losing ourselves in honest worship of our Creator.

"I was caught up at once in deep worship and, oh! -- a Throne set in Heaven with One Seated on the Throne, suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald. Twenty-four thrones circled the Throne, with Twenty-four Elders seated, white-robed, gold-crowned." Revelation 4:2-4 (The Message)

"And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." Revelation 4:2-4 (KJV)