I get the frustrated email all the time. “Wayne, it doesn’t seem like anything is happening in me.” People who go on a journey to learn to live in the love of the Father get impatient when change doesn’t come as fast as they hope for. I understand. Many are used to intellectual change. I hear something. I believe it. And then I should be able to apply it to my life.
But transformation doesn’t work that way. We may know God loves us, but letting him win us into the reality of that love takes time. It may even seem as if nothing is happening and we begin to doubt either God’s love or the process. I’ve watched over many years as people write me frustrated that they don’t seem to be “getting it.” In fact Brad and I recently did a podcast on what may be the scientific reason Why Transformation Takes Time. If you missed it, you might want to give it a listen.)
I try to tell people to relax in the Father’s affection and to relax in the process of how he changes us. I know it isn’t easy. We want quick-fixes and be in control. But we can’t rush it. It isn’t ours to do. All we can do is just lean into him each day as much as we are able and set our affections on him. Yes, we’ll make mistakes. Certainly we’ll fee trapped by habit patterns and ways of thinking that don’t seem to change. But what we miss is what’s going on deep down in the core of our lives, beneath the level of us simply trying to act better.
That’s why I tell people to let it unfold the way God wants, even if it takes two or three years to see progress. I know that’s hard, but one day you’ll begin to see that things have been shifting in your life and now you are able to transit circumstances with more freedom that we’ve had before. That’s when you’ll know God is doing the work not you. Like Paul, you’ll end up with nothing to boast about except him and his work in you.
I got this email earlier this week from someone I’ve been in touch with over the past few frustrated years. Look at what God has done:
I (am now experiencing) what I have been seeking for years. I can only describe it as heavy warm feeling on my chest that leaves me feeling peaceful and I am left with an excited expectation for what is next to come in my life and that all is well. I found out I have grown into Fathers reality a lot more than I ever dreamed because when the chips were down and I came to the end of me, grief lost its power, fear had no effect and I was left with a simple faith knowing he is in control. That’s the only way I know how to explain it. I was growing up all along and didn’t even know it.
I love that. Changing by our own strength is much quicker, but it doesn’t last long and we soon slip back in our old patterns. Transformation works more deeply, helping us think differently from the inside, so that we live differently on the outside. I hope this email encourages those of you for whom change seems to be moving too slowly. He is at work in you. You’ll see it one day and then you’ll overflow with thanksgiving.
- Wayne Jacobsen
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Until You Learn Powerlessness
Anyone who has not gone on journeys of powerlessness will invariably abuse power.
A good friend sent me a recent devotional from Richard Rohr, thinking I would love it! I did! In fact I share it with Brad on tomorrow’s podcast at The God Journey, but I wanted to highlight some of it here and give you a chance to read it before. I love the whole thing and how most ancient initiation rites led men into feelings of powerlessness so that he would not abuse that power, especially in male-dominated societies.
He goes on (emphases mine):
Jesus clearly taught the twelve disciples about surrender, the necessity of suffering, humility, servant leadership, and nonviolence. They resisted him every time, and so he finally had to make the journey himself and tell them, “Follow me!” But Christians have preferred to hear something Jesus never said: “Worship me.” Worship of Jesus is rather harmless and risk-free; following Jesus changes everything.
… I have often thought that this “non-preaching” of the Gospel was like a secret social contract between clergy and laity, as we shake hands across the sanctuary. We agree not to tell you anything that would make you uncomfortable, and you will keep coming to our services. It is a nice deal, because once the Gospel is preached, I doubt if the churches would be filled. Rather, we might be out on the streets living the message. The discernment and the call to a life of service, to a life that gives itself away instead of simply protecting and procuring for itself in the name of Jesus, is what church should be about. Right now, so much church is the clergy teaching the people how to be co-dependent with them. It becomes job security instead of true spiritual empowerment. Remember, anyone—male or female—who has not gone on journeys of powerlessness will invariably abuse power.
You can read the whole thing here. Maybe you’ll love it too. It may be more difficult for women to read, especially those that have been harmed by the abuse of power in our male-entrenched cultures, but the message is so powerful for all of us.
- Wayne Jacobsen
A good friend sent me a recent devotional from Richard Rohr, thinking I would love it! I did! In fact I share it with Brad on tomorrow’s podcast at The God Journey, but I wanted to highlight some of it here and give you a chance to read it before. I love the whole thing and how most ancient initiation rites led men into feelings of powerlessness so that he would not abuse that power, especially in male-dominated societies.
He goes on (emphases mine):
Jesus clearly taught the twelve disciples about surrender, the necessity of suffering, humility, servant leadership, and nonviolence. They resisted him every time, and so he finally had to make the journey himself and tell them, “Follow me!” But Christians have preferred to hear something Jesus never said: “Worship me.” Worship of Jesus is rather harmless and risk-free; following Jesus changes everything.
… I have often thought that this “non-preaching” of the Gospel was like a secret social contract between clergy and laity, as we shake hands across the sanctuary. We agree not to tell you anything that would make you uncomfortable, and you will keep coming to our services. It is a nice deal, because once the Gospel is preached, I doubt if the churches would be filled. Rather, we might be out on the streets living the message. The discernment and the call to a life of service, to a life that gives itself away instead of simply protecting and procuring for itself in the name of Jesus, is what church should be about. Right now, so much church is the clergy teaching the people how to be co-dependent with them. It becomes job security instead of true spiritual empowerment. Remember, anyone—male or female—who has not gone on journeys of powerlessness will invariably abuse power.
You can read the whole thing here. Maybe you’ll love it too. It may be more difficult for women to read, especially those that have been harmed by the abuse of power in our male-entrenched cultures, but the message is so powerful for all of us.
- Wayne Jacobsen
What Love Transforms
When three different people send you a copy of the same book in the same week, you take note. About a month ago Sara and I were able to start reading Love Does by Bob Goff. We have found it a delightful read as Bob shares his adventures in learning to live inside of love, both for himself and for others around him.
This one paragraph really caught my eye, because I think it is the essence of transformative love. You cannot know God’s kind of love without it changing you from the inside and finding yourself a freer, kinder person in the world, not because you have to but because you’re free to be the person Jesus made you to be:
“The cool thing about taking Jesus up on His offer is that whatever controls you doesn’t anymore. People who used to be obsessed about becoming famous no longer care whether anybody knows their name. People who used to want power are willing to serve. People who used to chase money freely give it away. People who used to beg others for acceptance are now strong enough to give love.”
That’s what love does. It reshapes us from the inside. You don’t learn to love by trying to change the way you feel about these things. Instead learning to live inside the love of God changes your value systems, often while you’re least aware it is going on. I am so enjoying the things that love is reshaping in me and I’m excited to see what it will yet change as I find myself valuing more what God values.
Someone also sent the this quote from the NPR show On Being by Omid Safi about busyness:
“This disease of being ‘busy’ (and let’s call it what it is, the dis-ease of being busy, when we are never at ease) is spiritually destructive to our health and wellbeing. It saps our ability to be fully present with those we love the most in our families, and keeps us from forming the kind of community that we all so desperately crave.”
It speaks into that same space. We’re not busy because the world demands it of us, we’re busy to run from ourselves and those around us as a retreat from the insecurities in our own heart. As those insecurities are cleansed by his love, you’ll find yourself far less busy. There’s no reason to be anymore and having time for the people in your life will allow you to experience the richness of real community, not just another meeting to rush off to or another responsibility to check off your list.
(Health update: For those concerned about my recovery from open-heart surgery, all continues as well as can be expected, which is a bit too slow for me. 🙂 I’m now three weeks from surgery in some pain and discomfort at times, but mostly just allowing the trauma to heal and my strength to recover. I’m walking about 4 miles per day now and will begin cardio therapy in a week or so. This has been quite a process, but filled with some lovely things God has done in the midst of it all. I’ll share those some day too. My family has been an incredible source of care and courage to get through this. For now, it is back to sleep, which seems to sneak up on me without notice and without my permission!)
This one paragraph really caught my eye, because I think it is the essence of transformative love. You cannot know God’s kind of love without it changing you from the inside and finding yourself a freer, kinder person in the world, not because you have to but because you’re free to be the person Jesus made you to be:
“The cool thing about taking Jesus up on His offer is that whatever controls you doesn’t anymore. People who used to be obsessed about becoming famous no longer care whether anybody knows their name. People who used to want power are willing to serve. People who used to chase money freely give it away. People who used to beg others for acceptance are now strong enough to give love.”
That’s what love does. It reshapes us from the inside. You don’t learn to love by trying to change the way you feel about these things. Instead learning to live inside the love of God changes your value systems, often while you’re least aware it is going on. I am so enjoying the things that love is reshaping in me and I’m excited to see what it will yet change as I find myself valuing more what God values.
Someone also sent the this quote from the NPR show On Being by Omid Safi about busyness:
“This disease of being ‘busy’ (and let’s call it what it is, the dis-ease of being busy, when we are never at ease) is spiritually destructive to our health and wellbeing. It saps our ability to be fully present with those we love the most in our families, and keeps us from forming the kind of community that we all so desperately crave.”
It speaks into that same space. We’re not busy because the world demands it of us, we’re busy to run from ourselves and those around us as a retreat from the insecurities in our own heart. As those insecurities are cleansed by his love, you’ll find yourself far less busy. There’s no reason to be anymore and having time for the people in your life will allow you to experience the richness of real community, not just another meeting to rush off to or another responsibility to check off your list.
(Health update: For those concerned about my recovery from open-heart surgery, all continues as well as can be expected, which is a bit too slow for me. 🙂 I’m now three weeks from surgery in some pain and discomfort at times, but mostly just allowing the trauma to heal and my strength to recover. I’m walking about 4 miles per day now and will begin cardio therapy in a week or so. This has been quite a process, but filled with some lovely things God has done in the midst of it all. I’ll share those some day too. My family has been an incredible source of care and courage to get through this. For now, it is back to sleep, which seems to sneak up on me without notice and without my permission!)
The Paper; The Book
Romans 5 introduces us to contrast, that of being
in Adam or being in Christ.
"As through one man's (Adam) disobedience, the
many were made sinners, even so, through the
obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made
righteous. (Romans 5: 19)
In Adam we receive everything that is in Adam;
in Christ we receive everything that is in Christ.
When He was crucified we were crucified there
with Him, because we had been placed in Him.
Nee gives an illustration of a piece of paper that is
separate from a book. He puts the paper into a
book and then sends the book to a friend. He sent
the book, not the paper, but because the paper was
in the book the paper went with the book. The paper
has to go where the book goes. It is not separate
from the destiny of the book.
In 1 Corinthians 15:45,47, Jesus is spoken of as
being the Last Adam and the Second Man. As the
last Adam, Christ is the total sum of humanity;
as the Second Man He is the head of a new race.
As the Last Adam His union with the human race
began in Bethlehem and ends at the Cross and the
Tomb--where He took judgement and death. Our
union with Him as the Second Man begins in
resurrection and ends in never ending Eternity. He
rose again as Head of a new race of men, in whom
that purpose will eventually be fully realized. As
Adam He wiped out the old race; as the Second
Man, He brings in the new race.
"For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection. (Romans 6:5)
We died in Him as the last Adam; we live in Him
as the Second Man. The cross is the mighty act
of God which translates us from Adam to Christ.
(Watchman Nee; The Normal Christian Life)
in Adam or being in Christ.
"As through one man's (Adam) disobedience, the
many were made sinners, even so, through the
obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made
righteous. (Romans 5: 19)
In Adam we receive everything that is in Adam;
in Christ we receive everything that is in Christ.
When He was crucified we were crucified there
with Him, because we had been placed in Him.
Nee gives an illustration of a piece of paper that is
separate from a book. He puts the paper into a
book and then sends the book to a friend. He sent
the book, not the paper, but because the paper was
in the book the paper went with the book. The paper
has to go where the book goes. It is not separate
from the destiny of the book.
In 1 Corinthians 15:45,47, Jesus is spoken of as
being the Last Adam and the Second Man. As the
last Adam, Christ is the total sum of humanity;
as the Second Man He is the head of a new race.
As the Last Adam His union with the human race
began in Bethlehem and ends at the Cross and the
Tomb--where He took judgement and death. Our
union with Him as the Second Man begins in
resurrection and ends in never ending Eternity. He
rose again as Head of a new race of men, in whom
that purpose will eventually be fully realized. As
Adam He wiped out the old race; as the Second
Man, He brings in the new race.
"For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection. (Romans 6:5)
We died in Him as the last Adam; we live in Him
as the Second Man. The cross is the mighty act
of God which translates us from Adam to Christ.
(Watchman Nee; The Normal Christian Life)
A New Creation
Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history
begins with the resurrection.
"If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:
the old things are passed away; behold they are
become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The cross terminates the first creation, and out of
death there is brought a new creation in Christ, the
Second Man.
If we are in 'Adam' all that is in Adam necessarily
devolves upon us; it becomes ours involuntarily, for
we have to do nothing to get it. There is no need to
make up or minds to lose our temper or to commit
some other sin; sin comes to us naturally and despite
how much we try to be good. In a similar manner if
we are 'in Christ' all that is in Christ comes to us by
free grace, without effort on our part. It is on the
ground of simple faith.
It is a four step process.
1 Knowing
2 Reckoning
3 Presenting ourselves to God,
4 Walking in the Spirit. (Watchman Nee)
Does this sound a bit complicated?
How does it work out in life?
Above all, does scripture back it up?
begins with the resurrection.
"If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:
the old things are passed away; behold they are
become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The cross terminates the first creation, and out of
death there is brought a new creation in Christ, the
Second Man.
If we are in 'Adam' all that is in Adam necessarily
devolves upon us; it becomes ours involuntarily, for
we have to do nothing to get it. There is no need to
make up or minds to lose our temper or to commit
some other sin; sin comes to us naturally and despite
how much we try to be good. In a similar manner if
we are 'in Christ' all that is in Christ comes to us by
free grace, without effort on our part. It is on the
ground of simple faith.
It is a four step process.
1 Knowing
2 Reckoning
3 Presenting ourselves to God,
4 Walking in the Spirit. (Watchman Nee)
Does this sound a bit complicated?
How does it work out in life?
Above all, does scripture back it up?
Consecrated to Him
For the past nine blogs I have been sharing
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee.
If you have missed any, go back because
each one builds on previous blogs.
The study has now brought us to the point where
we will discover the true nature of consecration.
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
neither present your members unto sin as
instruments of unrighteousness; but present
yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
(Rom 6: 12,13 KJV)
The operative word here is 'present' which occurs
five times in verses 13,16,19. Paul is not speaking
of the 'Old Nature' with its instincts, resources,
natural wisdom, or strength given to the Lord for
His use. No, he says, 'present yourselves unto
God, as alive from the dead.' For what is here
refers not to the consecration of anything
belonging to the old creation, but only that which
has passed through death to resurrection. When
I really KNOW I am crucified with Him, then
spontaneously I reckon myself dead (verses 6,11);
and when I KNOW that I am raised with Him from
the dead, then likewise I reckon myself 'alive unto
God in Christ Jesus. (verses 9,11)
Death has cut off all that cannot be consecrated to
Him, and resurrection alone has made consecration
possible. Presenting myself to God means that
henceforth I consider my whole life as belonging to
God. (Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life)
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee.
If you have missed any, go back because
each one builds on previous blogs.
The study has now brought us to the point where
we will discover the true nature of consecration.
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
neither present your members unto sin as
instruments of unrighteousness; but present
yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
(Rom 6: 12,13 KJV)
The operative word here is 'present' which occurs
five times in verses 13,16,19. Paul is not speaking
of the 'Old Nature' with its instincts, resources,
natural wisdom, or strength given to the Lord for
His use. No, he says, 'present yourselves unto
God, as alive from the dead.' For what is here
refers not to the consecration of anything
belonging to the old creation, but only that which
has passed through death to resurrection. When
I really KNOW I am crucified with Him, then
spontaneously I reckon myself dead (verses 6,11);
and when I KNOW that I am raised with Him from
the dead, then likewise I reckon myself 'alive unto
God in Christ Jesus. (verses 9,11)
Death has cut off all that cannot be consecrated to
Him, and resurrection alone has made consecration
possible. Presenting myself to God means that
henceforth I consider my whole life as belonging to
God. (Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life)
The New You
What does God say about you as a believer?
You are not condemned!
'There is therefore no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus.' (Rom 8:1)
You are free from the law of sin and death
'For the law of the Spirit of Life has set you
free from the law of sin and death.'
(Rom 8:2)
You are Sanctified (holy and set apart)
'To the church that is in Corinth, to those
sanctified in Christ, called to be saints...'
(1Cor 1:2)
(Notice that Paul is addressing a church whose
performance left much to be desired.)
You are the righteousness of 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.' (2Cor 5:21)
You were created for good performance (and I
can let Christ live in me to perform it.)
'For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk
in them.' (Eph 2:10
You are complete (perfect)
'For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells
bodily, and you have been filled in him.'
(Col 2:9,10)
You are raised up with Him
'If then you have been raised up with Christ,
seek the things above...'(Col 3:1)
Your life is hidden with Christ in God
'For you have died, and your life is hidden with
Christ in God. (Col 3:3)
You are not condemned!
'There is therefore no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus.' (Rom 8:1)
You are free from the law of sin and death
'For the law of the Spirit of Life has set you
free from the law of sin and death.'
(Rom 8:2)
You are Sanctified (holy and set apart)
'To the church that is in Corinth, to those
sanctified in Christ, called to be saints...'
(1Cor 1:2)
(Notice that Paul is addressing a church whose
performance left much to be desired.)
You are the righteousness of 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.' (2Cor 5:21)
You were created for good performance (and I
can let Christ live in me to perform it.)
'For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk
in them.' (Eph 2:10
You are complete (perfect)
'For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells
bodily, and you have been filled in him.'
(Col 2:9,10)
You are raised up with Him
'If then you have been raised up with Christ,
seek the things above...'(Col 3:1)
Your life is hidden with Christ in God
'For you have died, and your life is hidden with
Christ in God. (Col 3:3)
The Old Life--Gone
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; all things have
become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
'God pays no respect to anything we bring to
Him. There is only one thing God wants of us,
and that is our unconditional surrender.'
(Oswald Chambers)
old things have passed away; all things have
become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
'God pays no respect to anything we bring to
Him. There is only one thing God wants of us,
and that is our unconditional surrender.'
(Oswald Chambers)
Friday, November 25, 2016
Waiting for God to Act
Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem
Advent is for waiting. As we tell the story of redemption through the church calendar we begin our telling of the sacred story, not with doing, not with celebrating, but with waiting — waiting for God to act.
Yet most of us — children of a high-tech, high-speed, instantaneous age — are not very good at waiting. It feels too much like doing nothing, and we are the driven ones who take pride in being busy. Waiting is not really our thing.
Or worse yet, waiting feels too much like lamenting, which is closer to the truth. With the loss of a strong sense of the Christian calendar we have conflated Advent and Christmas into a single “holiday season.” But the truth is that Advent is quite different from Christmas as it carries its strong theme of prophetic lament. The world has gone wrong, justice lies fallen in the streets, and it seems that God is nowhere to be found. That’s when the lamentation of waiting arises in our soul: “O Lord, how long?” From Isaiah to Malachi there is a consistent theme of waiting in lament for God to act. All of the Hebrew prophets, each in their own way, composed their prophetic poems around this recurring theme: The Lord is coming, God is about to act, but for now…we wait.
And yet the waiting is essential. For it’s in the waiting that our soul grows quiet and contemplative and cultivates a capacity for awareness by which we can discern what God is doing when he does act.
We have been seduced by an idolatry that deceives us into thinking that God is mostly found in the big and loud, when in fact, God is almost never found in the big and loud. The ways of God are predominantly small and quiet. The ways of God are about as loud as seed falling on the ground or bread rising in an oven. The ways of God are almost never found in the shouts of the crowd; the ways of God are more often found in trickling tears and whispered prayers. We want God to do a big thing, while God is planning to do a small thing. We are impressed by the big and loud. God is not. We are in a hurry. God is not. We want God to act fast, but Godspeed is almost always slow.
So we are waiting for God to act, but I would suggest that we are not so much waiting for God to act as we are waiting to become contemplative enough to discern what God is doing. God is always acting, because God is always loving his creation. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always inviting us into their house of love. But when we are consumed by anger, harried by anxiety, and driven by impatience, we are blind and deaf to what God is actually doing in the present moment.
When God broke into history decisively through the Incarnation, who discerned it? Not the Pharisees whose religious movement was loudly predicting that God was about to act. Not the scribes and priests who were the professional experts in prophetic scripture. Instead it was pagan stargazers and peasant shepherds who discerned what God was doing. They were not the experts and they were not the reactionaries at the loud center of religious noise; they were quiet people on the silent edges of contemplative thought.
Gazing at stars and keeping watch by night are profound metaphors for the contemplative life. To most people it would appear that the Magi and the shepherds were doing nothing of significance in their long nighttime vigils, but they were the ones who were able to discern what God was doing. It was contemplative stargazers and shepherds, having learned how to wait in silence, who found their way to Bethlehem. They were the ones who discerned what God was doing in the seemingly ordinary event of a young woman giving birth in an out of the way place.
Waiting for God to act only seems like waiting for God to act. God is always acting because God is always loving the world and always giving birth to something. Waiting for God to act is actually waiting for your soul to become quiet enough and contemplative enough to discern what God is doing in the obscure and forgotten corners, far from the corridors of power or wherever you think the action is.
We want God to act in the imperial capital of Rome, but God first acts in a stable on the edge of Bethlehem.
We want God to act in Washington D.C., but God first acts in the quiet corner of your own living room.
So let me say this to you quite confidently: God is about to act. God is about to act in your life and in our world. But if you want to discern the actions of God you must learn to first wait in quiet contemplation. Before you can become an activist, you must first become a contemplative; otherwise you’ll just be a re-activist. And re-activists merely recycle anger and keep the world an angry place. Jesus was a contemplative activist, but never a re-activist.
So learn to gaze at the stars. Learn to keep vigil in the fields. Learn to sit with Jesus. Learn to be quiet. Learn to wait. Then, and only then, will you begin to discern what God is doing.
May this Advent help prepare you to discern what God is about to do in your life and in our world.
Advent is for waiting. As we tell the story of redemption through the church calendar we begin our telling of the sacred story, not with doing, not with celebrating, but with waiting — waiting for God to act.
Yet most of us — children of a high-tech, high-speed, instantaneous age — are not very good at waiting. It feels too much like doing nothing, and we are the driven ones who take pride in being busy. Waiting is not really our thing.
Or worse yet, waiting feels too much like lamenting, which is closer to the truth. With the loss of a strong sense of the Christian calendar we have conflated Advent and Christmas into a single “holiday season.” But the truth is that Advent is quite different from Christmas as it carries its strong theme of prophetic lament. The world has gone wrong, justice lies fallen in the streets, and it seems that God is nowhere to be found. That’s when the lamentation of waiting arises in our soul: “O Lord, how long?” From Isaiah to Malachi there is a consistent theme of waiting in lament for God to act. All of the Hebrew prophets, each in their own way, composed their prophetic poems around this recurring theme: The Lord is coming, God is about to act, but for now…we wait.
And yet the waiting is essential. For it’s in the waiting that our soul grows quiet and contemplative and cultivates a capacity for awareness by which we can discern what God is doing when he does act.
We have been seduced by an idolatry that deceives us into thinking that God is mostly found in the big and loud, when in fact, God is almost never found in the big and loud. The ways of God are predominantly small and quiet. The ways of God are about as loud as seed falling on the ground or bread rising in an oven. The ways of God are almost never found in the shouts of the crowd; the ways of God are more often found in trickling tears and whispered prayers. We want God to do a big thing, while God is planning to do a small thing. We are impressed by the big and loud. God is not. We are in a hurry. God is not. We want God to act fast, but Godspeed is almost always slow.
So we are waiting for God to act, but I would suggest that we are not so much waiting for God to act as we are waiting to become contemplative enough to discern what God is doing. God is always acting, because God is always loving his creation. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always inviting us into their house of love. But when we are consumed by anger, harried by anxiety, and driven by impatience, we are blind and deaf to what God is actually doing in the present moment.
When God broke into history decisively through the Incarnation, who discerned it? Not the Pharisees whose religious movement was loudly predicting that God was about to act. Not the scribes and priests who were the professional experts in prophetic scripture. Instead it was pagan stargazers and peasant shepherds who discerned what God was doing. They were not the experts and they were not the reactionaries at the loud center of religious noise; they were quiet people on the silent edges of contemplative thought.
Gazing at stars and keeping watch by night are profound metaphors for the contemplative life. To most people it would appear that the Magi and the shepherds were doing nothing of significance in their long nighttime vigils, but they were the ones who were able to discern what God was doing. It was contemplative stargazers and shepherds, having learned how to wait in silence, who found their way to Bethlehem. They were the ones who discerned what God was doing in the seemingly ordinary event of a young woman giving birth in an out of the way place.
Waiting for God to act only seems like waiting for God to act. God is always acting because God is always loving the world and always giving birth to something. Waiting for God to act is actually waiting for your soul to become quiet enough and contemplative enough to discern what God is doing in the obscure and forgotten corners, far from the corridors of power or wherever you think the action is.
We want God to act in the imperial capital of Rome, but God first acts in a stable on the edge of Bethlehem.
We want God to act in Washington D.C., but God first acts in the quiet corner of your own living room.
So let me say this to you quite confidently: God is about to act. God is about to act in your life and in our world. But if you want to discern the actions of God you must learn to first wait in quiet contemplation. Before you can become an activist, you must first become a contemplative; otherwise you’ll just be a re-activist. And re-activists merely recycle anger and keep the world an angry place. Jesus was a contemplative activist, but never a re-activist.
So learn to gaze at the stars. Learn to keep vigil in the fields. Learn to sit with Jesus. Learn to be quiet. Learn to wait. Then, and only then, will you begin to discern what God is doing.
May this Advent help prepare you to discern what God is about to do in your life and in our world.
Waiting for God to Act
Brian Zahnd
Brian Zahnd
Thursday, November 24, 2016
That Problem You’re Facing Right Now
The Lord will not always rescue you when you want Him to. And He certainly will not act according to your timetable every time.
In fact, sometimes He will let you die (metaphorically speaking). He may even wait until you’re quadruply dead and stinking in your tomb before He does anything (think Lazarus).
So when things become black in your life, and there seems to be no way out, your situation has the fingerprints of Jesus Christ all over it.
Chisel it in stone: you can’t have a resurrection without a death. Resurrection is God’s act alone. And that’s why it always brings glory to Him.
Two things to remember during your trial: 1) the Lord is seeking to show you something new about Himself and 2) the lesson you learn is not just for yourself. It’s given to you to help others.
So lean hard on your Lord. Trust Him, yielding, waiting, and seeking, expecting your resurrection. And in time, it will surely come.
In fact, sometimes He will let you die (metaphorically speaking). He may even wait until you’re quadruply dead and stinking in your tomb before He does anything (think Lazarus).
So when things become black in your life, and there seems to be no way out, your situation has the fingerprints of Jesus Christ all over it.
Chisel it in stone: you can’t have a resurrection without a death. Resurrection is God’s act alone. And that’s why it always brings glory to Him.
Two things to remember during your trial: 1) the Lord is seeking to show you something new about Himself and 2) the lesson you learn is not just for yourself. It’s given to you to help others.
So lean hard on your Lord. Trust Him, yielding, waiting, and seeking, expecting your resurrection. And in time, it will surely come.
A Tremendous Truth
In the death of Christ, we died. True?
Just as we cannot have salvation if we do not see that
He bore our sins on the Cross, so we cannot have
sanctification if we have not seen Him bearing us on
the Cross.
How did you receive forgiveness? You realized that
the Lord Jesus died as your substitute and that He
bore your sins away. Do you not praise and thank
Him for saving you? In the same way that we
received salvation, we receive sanctification--by
faith. Thus there is no need to pray, "I am a very
wicked person. Lord, please crucify me! That is all
wrong. Just as your sins were dealt with by His
blood, you were dealt with by His Cross. It is an
accomplished fact. All that is left for you to do is to
praise the Lord that when He died, you died also.
Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Our old man was crucified with Him (Romans 6:6)
We died with Christ. (Romans 6:8)
What died with Christ? Our old man died.
When Christ died, YOU died. You are done with.
You are ruled out. The self you loathe is on the
Cross in Christ. And, 'he that is dead is freed
from sin. (Rom 6:7) This is the Gospel for the
Christian!
Man's way is to try to suppress sin by seeking to
overcome it; God's way is to remove the sinner.
If we are preoccupied with the power of sin and
with our inability to overcome it, then we
naturally conclude that to gain victory over sin,
we must have more power. So we plead with God
to strengthen us that we may have more self-control.
But this is not Christianity. God's means of setting
us free from sin, is to make us weaker. God set us
free from the dominion of sin, not by strengthening
the old man, by by crucifying him. The discovery
of your helplessness and His victory will bring an
end to human striving, self hate and self-effort.
(Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life)
Just as we cannot have salvation if we do not see that
He bore our sins on the Cross, so we cannot have
sanctification if we have not seen Him bearing us on
the Cross.
How did you receive forgiveness? You realized that
the Lord Jesus died as your substitute and that He
bore your sins away. Do you not praise and thank
Him for saving you? In the same way that we
received salvation, we receive sanctification--by
faith. Thus there is no need to pray, "I am a very
wicked person. Lord, please crucify me! That is all
wrong. Just as your sins were dealt with by His
blood, you were dealt with by His Cross. It is an
accomplished fact. All that is left for you to do is to
praise the Lord that when He died, you died also.
Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Our old man was crucified with Him (Romans 6:6)
We died with Christ. (Romans 6:8)
What died with Christ? Our old man died.
When Christ died, YOU died. You are done with.
You are ruled out. The self you loathe is on the
Cross in Christ. And, 'he that is dead is freed
from sin. (Rom 6:7) This is the Gospel for the
Christian!
Man's way is to try to suppress sin by seeking to
overcome it; God's way is to remove the sinner.
If we are preoccupied with the power of sin and
with our inability to overcome it, then we
naturally conclude that to gain victory over sin,
we must have more power. So we plead with God
to strengthen us that we may have more self-control.
But this is not Christianity. God's means of setting
us free from sin, is to make us weaker. God set us
free from the dominion of sin, not by strengthening
the old man, by by crucifying him. The discovery
of your helplessness and His victory will bring an
end to human striving, self hate and self-effort.
(Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life)
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Problem Solved
This is probably one of the most significant posts
you will read on this site. It was taught by the
clergy in the 19th and 20th centuries, but I have
not come across it much in more recent years.
"For as by one man's disobedience the many
were made sinners, so by the one man's
obedience, the many will be made righteous.
(Romans 5:19)
Our despair is in Adam; our hope is in Christ.
But, here is the problem. Seeing that we were born
in Adam, how can we get out of Adam? The blood
doesn't cut it. There is only one way. Since we
came into Adam by birth, we must go out of Adam
by death. To do away with our sinfulness we must
do away with our life. What? Yes! Bondage to sin
came by birth; deliverance from sin comes by death--
His death. God has dealt with us in Christ. If this is
so, how do we get into Christ? Good question. God
has put us into Christ. I Corinthians 1:30 states
this very clearly:
"Of Him (that is of God) are ye in Christ."
We are in so we don't have to try to get in.
The Lord God Himself put us into Christ
Our destiny is bound up in His destiny
What He has gone through, we have also.
When Christ was crucified we were crucified
When Christ was buried we were buried
When Christ rose from the dead, we rose too.
(See Romans 6)
All references to crucifixion in the NT are in the
Greek aorist tense. "the eternally past tense, the
once for all tense'
"We know that our old man was crucified
with him in order that the body of sin might
be brought to nothing, so that we would no
longer be enslaved to sin.
' (Romans 6:6)
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no
longer I who live, but Christ who lives in
me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)
"But far be it from me to boast except in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which
the world has been crucified to me, and I to
the World." (Galatians 6:14)
you will read on this site. It was taught by the
clergy in the 19th and 20th centuries, but I have
not come across it much in more recent years.
"For as by one man's disobedience the many
were made sinners, so by the one man's
obedience, the many will be made righteous.
(Romans 5:19)
Our despair is in Adam; our hope is in Christ.
But, here is the problem. Seeing that we were born
in Adam, how can we get out of Adam? The blood
doesn't cut it. There is only one way. Since we
came into Adam by birth, we must go out of Adam
by death. To do away with our sinfulness we must
do away with our life. What? Yes! Bondage to sin
came by birth; deliverance from sin comes by death--
His death. God has dealt with us in Christ. If this is
so, how do we get into Christ? Good question. God
has put us into Christ. I Corinthians 1:30 states
this very clearly:
"Of Him (that is of God) are ye in Christ."
We are in so we don't have to try to get in.
The Lord God Himself put us into Christ
Our destiny is bound up in His destiny
What He has gone through, we have also.
When Christ was crucified we were crucified
When Christ was buried we were buried
When Christ rose from the dead, we rose too.
(See Romans 6)
All references to crucifixion in the NT are in the
Greek aorist tense. "the eternally past tense, the
once for all tense'
"We know that our old man was crucified
with him in order that the body of sin might
be brought to nothing, so that we would no
longer be enslaved to sin.
' (Romans 6:6)
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no
longer I who live, but Christ who lives in
me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)
"But far be it from me to boast except in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which
the world has been crucified to me, and I to
the World." (Galatians 6:14)
Friday, November 18, 2016
NOT Our Behaviour
"What has nothing to do with my behavior? When
we know the precious truth of justification by faith,
we still know only half the story. We have only
solved the problem of our standing before God.
How can we live the normal Christian life? How
do we enter into it? We not only need to be right
with God but we also need peace with God. The
Blood can wash away my sins, but it cannot wash
away my 'old man.' The 'old nature' needs
crucifixion. The Blood deals with the sins but the
cross must deal with the sinner. Paul lays it out in
Romans five: 'A sinner is said to be a sinner
because he is born a sinner; not because he com-
mits sins.' Why am I a born a sinner? Because
Adam sinned and we are all descended from
Adam.
'Sin came into the world through one man so
death spread to all men...through one man's
trespass, death reigned through that one man.'
(Romans 5)
If your great grandfather had died at the age of
three, where would you be today? Well, you
would not be here because you would have died
in him. In the same way we are bound to Adam.
We are all involved in Adam's sin, because we
are all from him. When Adam sinned we received
from him all that he became as a result of his sin--
that is to say, the Adam-nature, the nature of a
sinner. Our trouble is in what we have inherited,
not our behavior. Unless we change our heritage
there is no room for deliverance for us."
Watchman Nee paraphrase
Reader, I am going to leave you half baked, so to
speak. I am on the edge of a wonderful break-
through but it is so much to grasp all at once,
especially if it is new to you. Know that you have
been reconciled with God through the Blood of
Jesus, but that there is so much more to salvation--
there is also deliverance!
we know the precious truth of justification by faith,
we still know only half the story. We have only
solved the problem of our standing before God.
How can we live the normal Christian life? How
do we enter into it? We not only need to be right
with God but we also need peace with God. The
Blood can wash away my sins, but it cannot wash
away my 'old man.' The 'old nature' needs
crucifixion. The Blood deals with the sins but the
cross must deal with the sinner. Paul lays it out in
Romans five: 'A sinner is said to be a sinner
because he is born a sinner; not because he com-
mits sins.' Why am I a born a sinner? Because
Adam sinned and we are all descended from
Adam.
'Sin came into the world through one man so
death spread to all men...through one man's
trespass, death reigned through that one man.'
(Romans 5)
If your great grandfather had died at the age of
three, where would you be today? Well, you
would not be here because you would have died
in him. In the same way we are bound to Adam.
We are all involved in Adam's sin, because we
are all from him. When Adam sinned we received
from him all that he became as a result of his sin--
that is to say, the Adam-nature, the nature of a
sinner. Our trouble is in what we have inherited,
not our behavior. Unless we change our heritage
there is no room for deliverance for us."
Watchman Nee paraphrase
Reader, I am going to leave you half baked, so to
speak. I am on the edge of a wonderful break-
through but it is so much to grasp all at once,
especially if it is new to you. Know that you have
been reconciled with God through the Blood of
Jesus, but that there is so much more to salvation--
there is also deliverance!
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Communicating Feelings
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. --Psalm 139: 23, 24
Very few couples ever learn to communicate on the important level of how they feel.Most people live out of feelings, which should be communicated even if they are not based on fact.However, when beginning to describe how they feel, people often get bombarded with facts from their spouses intended to discredit what was said. It is interesting to watch the confrontation of a carnal person. First, he tries denial: "I did not do it!" Second, there is the rationalization of his/her behavior: "I had to do it." Then comes the accusation: "You made me do it," or, "You have done the same thing yourself." None of this makes for great conversation that goes anywhere. The spiritual man does none of the above when confronted, neither immediately accepting (unless conviction from God previously existed) nor immediately rejecting the claims, but laying his heart before God and letting God probe. If what was said is true, then there is repentance.
Let others tell you how they feel. You may be hearing only false feelings, but a spiritual response from you will help reveal this. Get in the other person’s shoes and understand the feelings and why they might be occurring, without responding in a manner calculated to defend yourself. This will help both of you move past those feelings to the Truth, Christ.
Psalm 139:23-24 are a testimony of the great King David’s understanding of himself versus God’s knowledge of him. And one thing that shows is that O.T. Believers did not possess the Holy Spirit’s indwelling…therefore the “uh-huh” and “unh-uh” He gives today’s Believers were not available to David. So David would wisely ask God to reveal and lead him as needed. Today, we have HIM inside us to do such, most often whether we ask or not, although it is never “bad” to ask God for His wisdom, His insights, His awareness of any of our “offensive ways,” and His leadership.
Michael shows us this translates to the disaster of carnal Christians not being able to (or, not wanting to) communicate their feelings when a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s nudging (and desire to walk with His involvement) could lead to less tension and better communication.
Interestingly, the Greek word for “communicate” in the New Testament is koinoneo, meaning “share with.” Exactly what Michael is saying here! Share with each other our feelings, not just facts. And especially not arguments!
Very few couples ever learn to communicate on the important level of how they feel.Most people live out of feelings, which should be communicated even if they are not based on fact.However, when beginning to describe how they feel, people often get bombarded with facts from their spouses intended to discredit what was said. It is interesting to watch the confrontation of a carnal person. First, he tries denial: "I did not do it!" Second, there is the rationalization of his/her behavior: "I had to do it." Then comes the accusation: "You made me do it," or, "You have done the same thing yourself." None of this makes for great conversation that goes anywhere. The spiritual man does none of the above when confronted, neither immediately accepting (unless conviction from God previously existed) nor immediately rejecting the claims, but laying his heart before God and letting God probe. If what was said is true, then there is repentance.
Let others tell you how they feel. You may be hearing only false feelings, but a spiritual response from you will help reveal this. Get in the other person’s shoes and understand the feelings and why they might be occurring, without responding in a manner calculated to defend yourself. This will help both of you move past those feelings to the Truth, Christ.
Psalm 139:23-24 are a testimony of the great King David’s understanding of himself versus God’s knowledge of him. And one thing that shows is that O.T. Believers did not possess the Holy Spirit’s indwelling…therefore the “uh-huh” and “unh-uh” He gives today’s Believers were not available to David. So David would wisely ask God to reveal and lead him as needed. Today, we have HIM inside us to do such, most often whether we ask or not, although it is never “bad” to ask God for His wisdom, His insights, His awareness of any of our “offensive ways,” and His leadership.
Michael shows us this translates to the disaster of carnal Christians not being able to (or, not wanting to) communicate their feelings when a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s nudging (and desire to walk with His involvement) could lead to less tension and better communication.
Interestingly, the Greek word for “communicate” in the New Testament is koinoneo, meaning “share with.” Exactly what Michael is saying here! Share with each other our feelings, not just facts. And especially not arguments!
Our Dual Problem
Our dual problem: SINS AND SIN
'The first eight chapters of Romans form a self-
contained unit. Chapters one to chapter 5:11 form
the first half, chapters 5:12 to 8:19 lays out the
second half. In the first section we find that Paul
uses the plural form and refers to sins. In the
second section, however, this is changed, for
while the word 'sins' hardly occurs once, the
singular word 'sin' is used again and again. Why?'
'It is because in the first section it is a question
of the many sins I have committed before God,
whereas in the second it is a question of sin as a
principle working within. It is this sin-principle
that leads to our sinning. I need forgiveness for
my sins, but I need also deliverance from the
power of sin. The former touches my conscience,
the latter, my life...Once I have received
forgiveness of sins I make a new discovery,
namely the discovery of 'sin'--something is still
wrong within...'
'We shall see that the Blood deals with what we
have done, whereas the Cross deals with what
we are. The Blood disposes of our sins, while the
Cross strikes at the root of our capacity for sin.'
(Watchman Nee, somewhat paraphrased)
Reader, the words above were what began my
journey to living in greater victory. If you can
grasp the difference between sins and sin, you
are on your way to freedom in Christ! I will
expand on this in the coming days.
'The first eight chapters of Romans form a self-
contained unit. Chapters one to chapter 5:11 form
the first half, chapters 5:12 to 8:19 lays out the
second half. In the first section we find that Paul
uses the plural form and refers to sins. In the
second section, however, this is changed, for
while the word 'sins' hardly occurs once, the
singular word 'sin' is used again and again. Why?'
'It is because in the first section it is a question
of the many sins I have committed before God,
whereas in the second it is a question of sin as a
principle working within. It is this sin-principle
that leads to our sinning. I need forgiveness for
my sins, but I need also deliverance from the
power of sin. The former touches my conscience,
the latter, my life...Once I have received
forgiveness of sins I make a new discovery,
namely the discovery of 'sin'--something is still
wrong within...'
'We shall see that the Blood deals with what we
have done, whereas the Cross deals with what
we are. The Blood disposes of our sins, while the
Cross strikes at the root of our capacity for sin.'
(Watchman Nee, somewhat paraphrased)
Reader, the words above were what began my
journey to living in greater victory. If you can
grasp the difference between sins and sin, you
are on your way to freedom in Christ! I will
expand on this in the coming days.
Overcoming the Accuser
The greatest daily battle against our enemy is all in
our heads. And, he attacks us continually in such a
way that we tend to agree with him. Yuk!
"...which accused them before God day and night"
(Rev 12:10)
When Adam fell he instantly sided with Satan and
against God. When Jesus came He became our
High Priest. Check out Hebrews 9:11-14. Jesus is a
High Priest who shed his own blood on our behalf,
so man is now back on the side of God. The blood
restored man to God and God to man. Because of
this, when we are accused before God by Satan,
the Lord confronts Satan on our behalf.
"The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from
every sin." (Darby 1John 1:9)
Every sin? Yes. The worst of sins? Yes. We are
tempted by the enemy to think there are sins that
are unforgivable, but scripture says,
'the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin!'
Now the reason why we so readily accept the
accusations of Satan as truth, is that we are still
hoping to have some righteousness of our own!
However, if we have learned to put no confidence
in the flesh, we shall not be surprised if we sin,
because the very nature of flesh is to sin. Never
should we try to answer Satan with our good
conduct but always by the blood. Our faith is in
the precious blood and our refusal to move from
that position alone silences Satan's charges and
puts him to flight. (Romans 8:33, 34)'
(Watchman Nee paraphrased)
Reader, I had forgotten how much the blood
of Jesus has accomplished for me. It surely is
by revelation that we are able to stand against
the accusations of the accuser, our vile foe!
our heads. And, he attacks us continually in such a
way that we tend to agree with him. Yuk!
"...which accused them before God day and night"
(Rev 12:10)
When Adam fell he instantly sided with Satan and
against God. When Jesus came He became our
High Priest. Check out Hebrews 9:11-14. Jesus is a
High Priest who shed his own blood on our behalf,
so man is now back on the side of God. The blood
restored man to God and God to man. Because of
this, when we are accused before God by Satan,
the Lord confronts Satan on our behalf.
"The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from
every sin." (Darby 1John 1:9)
Every sin? Yes. The worst of sins? Yes. We are
tempted by the enemy to think there are sins that
are unforgivable, but scripture says,
'the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin!'
Now the reason why we so readily accept the
accusations of Satan as truth, is that we are still
hoping to have some righteousness of our own!
However, if we have learned to put no confidence
in the flesh, we shall not be surprised if we sin,
because the very nature of flesh is to sin. Never
should we try to answer Satan with our good
conduct but always by the blood. Our faith is in
the precious blood and our refusal to move from
that position alone silences Satan's charges and
puts him to flight. (Romans 8:33, 34)'
(Watchman Nee paraphrased)
Reader, I had forgotten how much the blood
of Jesus has accomplished for me. It surely is
by revelation that we are able to stand against
the accusations of the accuser, our vile foe!
Love Conquers All
Paul prayed in this way for the church at Ephesus:
I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, [God] may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. —Ephesians 3:16:17
Christ resides in us, and we reside in Christ by our trust that what God says about himself and us in the person of Jesus Christ is true. By faith we participate in the triune love of God. Paul’s prayer is for this divine participation to be increasingly experienced as we are increasingly “rooted and grounded in love.”
Through the work of the Spirit in our lives and through the discipline of our minds, the roots of our lives must become firmly planted in the reality of God’s love as revealed in Christ. Like the ground from which a tree’s roots are nourished, God’s love is the one source from which we are to drink and derive nourishment.
When we are empty, we are to drink the fullness of God’s love.
When we face temptation, we are to drink the strength of God’s love.
When we catch ourselves feeling superior, we are to drink in the mercy of God’s love, remembering that we ourselves are forgiven sinners.
When we feel condemned, we are to drink the forgiveness of God’s love.
When we feel despair, we are to drink the hope of God’s love.
When we feel lifeless, we are to drink the abundant life that is God’s love.
When we feel hate, we are to drink in the love that led Christ to give up his life for those who hated him.
It is all there in Christ. He is the truth and he is the life (John 14:6). We must be rooted in him and in him alone. Love conquers all.
God’s love, as revealed in Christ, is also the source of our grounding, our stability in life. Trees with deep roots bend when strong winds come, but they are not uprooted like trees with shallow roots. So too, our stability in life depends on our being firmly grounded in the reality of God’s love as it is revealed in Christ. If our lives are grounded in idols from which we try to get life, we are building our house on sinking sand. But if our lives are grounded in Christ as “the source of [our] life” (1 Cor 1:30), our house is built upon an immovable rock (Matt 7:24-27).
We live in a world under the influence of the Accuser, who roams about as a lion seeking to devour us (1 Pet 5:8). He is continually accusing God before us, just as he is perpetually accusing us before God, just as he is perpetually accusing us before God, ourselves, and each other. If we are not rooted and grounded in God’s love, we will invariably find ourselves unconsciously or consciously judging and accusing God, and then ourselves and each other. We will live in judgment, and the flow of love from God to us and through us will be suppressed.
May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, being rooted and grounded in love.
I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, [God] may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. —Ephesians 3:16:17
Christ resides in us, and we reside in Christ by our trust that what God says about himself and us in the person of Jesus Christ is true. By faith we participate in the triune love of God. Paul’s prayer is for this divine participation to be increasingly experienced as we are increasingly “rooted and grounded in love.”
Through the work of the Spirit in our lives and through the discipline of our minds, the roots of our lives must become firmly planted in the reality of God’s love as revealed in Christ. Like the ground from which a tree’s roots are nourished, God’s love is the one source from which we are to drink and derive nourishment.
When we are empty, we are to drink the fullness of God’s love.
When we face temptation, we are to drink the strength of God’s love.
When we catch ourselves feeling superior, we are to drink in the mercy of God’s love, remembering that we ourselves are forgiven sinners.
When we feel condemned, we are to drink the forgiveness of God’s love.
When we feel despair, we are to drink the hope of God’s love.
When we feel lifeless, we are to drink the abundant life that is God’s love.
When we feel hate, we are to drink in the love that led Christ to give up his life for those who hated him.
It is all there in Christ. He is the truth and he is the life (John 14:6). We must be rooted in him and in him alone. Love conquers all.
God’s love, as revealed in Christ, is also the source of our grounding, our stability in life. Trees with deep roots bend when strong winds come, but they are not uprooted like trees with shallow roots. So too, our stability in life depends on our being firmly grounded in the reality of God’s love as it is revealed in Christ. If our lives are grounded in idols from which we try to get life, we are building our house on sinking sand. But if our lives are grounded in Christ as “the source of [our] life” (1 Cor 1:30), our house is built upon an immovable rock (Matt 7:24-27).
We live in a world under the influence of the Accuser, who roams about as a lion seeking to devour us (1 Pet 5:8). He is continually accusing God before us, just as he is perpetually accusing us before God, just as he is perpetually accusing us before God, ourselves, and each other. If we are not rooted and grounded in God’s love, we will invariably find ourselves unconsciously or consciously judging and accusing God, and then ourselves and each other. We will live in judgment, and the flow of love from God to us and through us will be suppressed.
May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, being rooted and grounded in love.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Christ's Gain
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. --Hebrews 2:10
On a recent international trip I was sitting on the front pew waiting to preach. During the song service I looked on the wall at a picture of Mary holding Jesus. God becoming a man! I have always thought of the great loss Jesus experienced in having to leave heaven to become a man. I had never before thought there was gain for Him, but there are two areas of gain that I see. First, though I know little about Him, I know He is the lover of my soul. God created man like a fine automobile, but a car cannot drive on its own. I have seen in the bottom of a ferryboat a tangled and beaten-up heap of cars after a storm at sea. Those lost cars had no drivers. Jesus stepped in to become the driver in man and to make the creation perform perfectly. He comes to dwell in each of us, to drive, so to speak.
Second,when spirit dwells in flesh, the spirit will either be perfected or destroyed. In heaven, without hindrances, spirit never really sees its limitations. This is partially the problem that Satan had, thinking he was equal to God. Putting spirit in flesh is redeeming for the spirit as the short course in revealing weakness. Once spirit has lived in flesh and found that it is conquered by flesh (spirit is willing but the flesh is weak), spirit enters into humility. Clinging to and empowered by God, spirit perceives something it never would have if not presented with that new level of need: a deeper experience of the glory of God as He meets the need. Spirit as it lives and is being perfected in flesh reveals the glory of God. Having descended and ascended, does Jesus see the Father differently? If so, is it gain? Jesus was made perfect through suffering. What does this mean for me? Jesus put Himself in a place of great need, but God did more than meet the need. So maybe God the Father will never seem the same for Jesus. Has the Father gotten even more wondrous and beautiful to Jesus? Maybe for the first time in my life, I am happy that I began as a man. Having God help me in my weakness gives me a view and experience of God that no angel will ever have. We are spirits trapped in flesh; in our weakness He becomes our strength.
Fears and Fleeting Faith
The disciples were afraid. Terrified, even. The wind was howling, the waves pounding. Several of them were fishermen by trade and they knew this water, they knew of colleagues who had been swept away and lost in these sudden, vicious squalls. They knew the situation was fast becoming perilous. Yet Jesus slept, resting contentedly at the bottom of the boat. How could he be so callous? Didn’t he know the danger? Didn’t he care?
Finally they could take it no longer. “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Get up! What’s wrong with you! Jesus awoke. Jesus spoke. Jesus rebuked the storm, told it to get lost, to go away. And like an ant before an elephant, that great storm dissipated and retreated. It was beaten, licked, replaced by a dead calm.
Jesus turned to the disciples and asked a question, just four short words: “Where is your faith?” Where, indeed.
The disciples had the right idea, of course. In their troubles they fled to Jesus. In their uncertainty they cried out to their master. But they came to him in fear and doubt, not in faith. Jesus’s words to them were a rebuke, a gentle scolding. Kent Hughes points out the irony: The great storm had not awoken Jesus. No, it took doubting little men to wake him from his rest. Their fear had led them to doubt his goodness, his kindness, his care for them. After all they had seen, all they had witnessed, all they had experienced, how could they be so silly? How could they remain so naive?
The disciples had assumed that their experience of the storm was the same as his experience of the storm. They had assumed the storm was happening to Jesus in the same way it was happening to them. But that wasn’t the case at all, because he was not one of them. Even while he was in the storm, he was above the storm. Even while he was caught up in it, he was controlling it. Even while it happened to him, it happened by and through him (Hebrews 1:3). The great storm was always in the hand of this great God. Every wind blew only at his command, every wave rose only by his hand, every raindrop fell only with his knowledge, his assent, his approval, his delight.
We marvel at the disciples for their lack of faith. They had seen miracle after miracle, had experience after experience. They had walked with him and been taught by him as his dearest friends, his closest allies. Yet in one moment of uncertainty they forgot it all. We marvel, but we shouldn’t. If we are honest with ourselves we know we have done the very same thing. As Hughes says, “Fear comes, and all the reasons for trust depart—all our past experience, all the knowledge God has given us.”
Our faith is shockingly shallow on the day of uncertainty. Our fears quickly overwhelm our fleeting faith. Yet this story tells us, reminds us, assures us that there is no situation beyond God’s knowledge, no condition beyond God’s control, no circumstance beyond God’s power. The one who holds us in the storm is the very same one who holds the storm. I give the final words to Charles Spurgeon:
There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children ought to more earnestly contend to than the doctrine of their Master over all creation – the Kingship of God over all the works of His own hands – the Throne of God and His right to sit upon that throne…for it is God upon the Throne whom we trust.
Finally they could take it no longer. “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Get up! What’s wrong with you! Jesus awoke. Jesus spoke. Jesus rebuked the storm, told it to get lost, to go away. And like an ant before an elephant, that great storm dissipated and retreated. It was beaten, licked, replaced by a dead calm.
Jesus turned to the disciples and asked a question, just four short words: “Where is your faith?” Where, indeed.
The disciples had the right idea, of course. In their troubles they fled to Jesus. In their uncertainty they cried out to their master. But they came to him in fear and doubt, not in faith. Jesus’s words to them were a rebuke, a gentle scolding. Kent Hughes points out the irony: The great storm had not awoken Jesus. No, it took doubting little men to wake him from his rest. Their fear had led them to doubt his goodness, his kindness, his care for them. After all they had seen, all they had witnessed, all they had experienced, how could they be so silly? How could they remain so naive?
The disciples had assumed that their experience of the storm was the same as his experience of the storm. They had assumed the storm was happening to Jesus in the same way it was happening to them. But that wasn’t the case at all, because he was not one of them. Even while he was in the storm, he was above the storm. Even while he was caught up in it, he was controlling it. Even while it happened to him, it happened by and through him (Hebrews 1:3). The great storm was always in the hand of this great God. Every wind blew only at his command, every wave rose only by his hand, every raindrop fell only with his knowledge, his assent, his approval, his delight.
We marvel at the disciples for their lack of faith. They had seen miracle after miracle, had experience after experience. They had walked with him and been taught by him as his dearest friends, his closest allies. Yet in one moment of uncertainty they forgot it all. We marvel, but we shouldn’t. If we are honest with ourselves we know we have done the very same thing. As Hughes says, “Fear comes, and all the reasons for trust depart—all our past experience, all the knowledge God has given us.”
Our faith is shockingly shallow on the day of uncertainty. Our fears quickly overwhelm our fleeting faith. Yet this story tells us, reminds us, assures us that there is no situation beyond God’s knowledge, no condition beyond God’s control, no circumstance beyond God’s power. The one who holds us in the storm is the very same one who holds the storm. I give the final words to Charles Spurgeon:
There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children ought to more earnestly contend to than the doctrine of their Master over all creation – the Kingship of God over all the works of His own hands – the Throne of God and His right to sit upon that throne…for it is God upon the Throne whom we trust.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Utter Weakness
"Abide in Me and I in you."
John 15:4
"It is when I feel my utter weakness most deeply, and
fully accept Jesus in His wondrous union to myself as
my life, that His wondrous power works in me. Then I
am able to lead a life completely beyond what my own
power could obtain. I begin to see that abiding in Him
is not a matter of moments or special seasons, but the
deep life process in which--by His keeping grace--I
continue without a moment's intermission, and from
which I act out all my Christian life."
Andrew Murray
John 15:4
"It is when I feel my utter weakness most deeply, and
fully accept Jesus in His wondrous union to myself as
my life, that His wondrous power works in me. Then I
am able to lead a life completely beyond what my own
power could obtain. I begin to see that abiding in Him
is not a matter of moments or special seasons, but the
deep life process in which--by His keeping grace--I
continue without a moment's intermission, and from
which I act out all my Christian life."
Andrew Murray
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Civilian or Soldier: Which Are You?
The Bible makes it clear that the people of God are to be on the offensive in storming the gates of hell (See post) and that Christians are to put on the armor of God (See post). However, in modern Western Christianity, it is much more common to behave more like civilians on a vacation than soldiers in God’s army.
A soldier in battle conducts himself very differently from a civilian. The civilian naturally wants to indulge his or her interests and desires while avoiding inconveniences as much as possible. But soldiers understand they are called to sacrifice their interests and desires, if not their lives, to advance the cause for which they fight.
The NT clearly calls us to live like soldiers. As good soldiers, we are to always seek to please our “enlisting officer” and not become involved in civilian affairs (2 Tim 2:4). We are always to be on guard against our enemy who perpetually seeks to lure us into sin and lull us into compromise. We are to crucify ourselves, set aside all concerns for worldly comfort and security, and at every moment seek first the kingdom of God (Mt 6:24-34). We are to live with the singular mission of advancing God’s kingdom by the unique way we live, the self-sacrificial way we love, the humble way we serve, and the power we demonstrate against oppressive forces.
In sharp contrast to this, almost everything about the consumeristic, materialistic, and hedonistic culture in the West encourages us to live as if we are on vacation. From childhood on we are bombarded with messages that in various ways tell us “the good life” is centered on pursuing “the American dream”: indulge yourself as much as possible; acquire as much wealth as possible; live with as much comfort, convenience, and pleasure as possible.
The extent to which Western Christians have succumbed to the consumer culture that engulfs us is evidenced by the numerous studies that reveal that the lifestyle and core values of most professing Christians in America are almost indistinguishable from those of their secular neighbors.
While it’s understandable that secular people would want to live life as self-indulged and carefree as possible, for a soldier this is equivalent to going AWOL. We are called to wear the armor and retain the mind-set of a good soldier.
—Adapted from Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views, pages 151-152
A soldier in battle conducts himself very differently from a civilian. The civilian naturally wants to indulge his or her interests and desires while avoiding inconveniences as much as possible. But soldiers understand they are called to sacrifice their interests and desires, if not their lives, to advance the cause for which they fight.
The NT clearly calls us to live like soldiers. As good soldiers, we are to always seek to please our “enlisting officer” and not become involved in civilian affairs (2 Tim 2:4). We are always to be on guard against our enemy who perpetually seeks to lure us into sin and lull us into compromise. We are to crucify ourselves, set aside all concerns for worldly comfort and security, and at every moment seek first the kingdom of God (Mt 6:24-34). We are to live with the singular mission of advancing God’s kingdom by the unique way we live, the self-sacrificial way we love, the humble way we serve, and the power we demonstrate against oppressive forces.
In sharp contrast to this, almost everything about the consumeristic, materialistic, and hedonistic culture in the West encourages us to live as if we are on vacation. From childhood on we are bombarded with messages that in various ways tell us “the good life” is centered on pursuing “the American dream”: indulge yourself as much as possible; acquire as much wealth as possible; live with as much comfort, convenience, and pleasure as possible.
The extent to which Western Christians have succumbed to the consumer culture that engulfs us is evidenced by the numerous studies that reveal that the lifestyle and core values of most professing Christians in America are almost indistinguishable from those of their secular neighbors.
While it’s understandable that secular people would want to live life as self-indulged and carefree as possible, for a soldier this is equivalent to going AWOL. We are called to wear the armor and retain the mind-set of a good soldier.
—Adapted from Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views, pages 151-152
A Mystery
Everyone loves a mystery! However, the Bible speaks
of mystery as a secret, something unknown in earlier
ages. God the Father had a divine secret that He carried
throughout the Old Covenant. He worked through the
years, never fully disclosing His heart until the fullness
of time when the Father sent forth the Son of His love;
then by the Holy Spirit, made known the fullness of His
love toward the gentiles. The Apostle Paul became a
"minister...to make the word of God fully known,
the mystery hidden for ages and for generations
but now revealed to his saints."
It is in the first chapter of Colossians that this divine
secret is disclosed as the matchless, incomparable
unveiling:
"That in all things he might have pre-eminence."
Its beginning is within the heart of every believer.
The mystery is: (trumpets please)
"Christ in you, the hope of glory."
of mystery as a secret, something unknown in earlier
ages. God the Father had a divine secret that He carried
throughout the Old Covenant. He worked through the
years, never fully disclosing His heart until the fullness
of time when the Father sent forth the Son of His love;
then by the Holy Spirit, made known the fullness of His
love toward the gentiles. The Apostle Paul became a
"minister...to make the word of God fully known,
the mystery hidden for ages and for generations
but now revealed to his saints."
It is in the first chapter of Colossians that this divine
secret is disclosed as the matchless, incomparable
unveiling:
"That in all things he might have pre-eminence."
Its beginning is within the heart of every believer.
The mystery is: (trumpets please)
"Christ in you, the hope of glory."
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