This is a bit of a departure for me, but then I realize that nothing I do is very predictable, so maybe not. I want to write briefly about some of the things Jesus said about the "Harvest" (admittedly a badly "Christianized" word in our day, but I am using His term).
Jesus only spoke directly about the "Harvest" twice, and we will look at those passages and a few others to distill for you some more "upside down" thinking. First, however, I need to correct a few common misconceptions about "reaching the Harvest." The first correction involves what it means to reach the harvest: it is not about "saving souls from hell" but rather an invitation into a family and to join Father God is seeing His Kingdom expand. The second correction, which I have made in earlier blogs, is that not everyone is called to be an evangelist or apostle. Everyone is to be prepared to "give a reason for the hope that is clearly within them" (1 Peter 3:15), but making people feel guilty about not sharing their faith when their gifting lies otherwise is not what Jesus intended. The challenge to be a witness is a corporate challenge that we engage in together as the Body of Christ with each part doing its work as defined by the Head, Jesus Christ (see Ephesian 4:11 ff.). Third, any understanding of how Jesus viewed "reaching the Harvest" must take into account everything about how He lived out His life (e.g., doing only what He saw Father doing, doing everything in complete dependence upon Father, etc.)--reaching the Harvest is never something we do on our own initiative or in our own strength.
Okay, now let's list a few observations about the Harvest from Jesus' life and teaching. For the sake of brevity, I will just briefly list these things. You can unpack these yourself with Holy Spirit's help.
In Matthew 9:36-38 Jesus is moved by compassion for the crowds when He sees them "harassed and helpless" and it is this that triggers His instruction to "Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers." Things to note here: Jesus saw the people, He was moved with compassion, He said to pray... (and as the disciples subsequently learned, they were to pray with a willingness to be sent!).
John 4:35-38 we find Jesus' other statement about the Harvest. Here His instructions are quite simple: "open your eyes and look!" (this as the Samaritans were streaming out to meet Him). Then He goes on to explain that reaching the Harvest is a joint effort wherein some people plant, others gather, etc. and implied in this is the importance of catching God's timing and our role at the moment. (Think about that one for a while). Note that in both Matthew and John what triggered Jesus' remarks was His own seeing... "God, open my eyes to see what you are seeing" would seem to be an appropriate prayer in this regard.
But there are some other important things that Jesus said about "reaching the Harvest" that come from the context of His life and teachings. Consider the following:
1. In Matthew 5:13-16 He gives clear instruction as to how (in part) we are to invite people into His family: we are to be salt and light. In other words, our character and our acts of kindness are to point to God as an invitation into Father's family.
2. In Matthew 10:1 ff. He gives the rest of how the invitation is to be made: we are to announce that the Kingdom of God is near and then demonstrate that by healing the sick, casting out demons, etc. This is extremely important, folks: telling people that God exists and asking them to commit to an "unexperienced idea" was never God's method for inviting people into His family. In the Bible God always clearly demonstrates His reality and then invites people to turn and trust Him in light of that reality. So much for merely handing out tracts, eh? (Not that there isn't a place for that, but please don't think that doing so is all that there is to "reaching the Harvest"! Somehow I just can't picture the apostles handing out tracts!). Yes, I know I am stepping on toes here, and I am doing so not to condemn but to stretch. If you have a passion for the Harvest then learn how to demonstrate God's presence and power through healing the sick, casting out demons, etc.
3. The invitation into the family is to be validated by the loving community that extends the invitation. Jesus said this in a number of ways on a number of occasions. He sent the workers out in twos so that they could be a small community of love that demonstrated God's family to those who were being addressed. And He clearly stated that healthy, loving relationships were the validation of everything He said (John 13:34-34, 17:21-23), in other words, followers of Jesus are the message embodied that validates the power and the words of the invitation into the family. Hmmm, how well has what we call church done with this one, eh? Why is it so easy to pretend that power and love aren't the most important parts of reaching the Harvest?
4. Last one for today: the invitation to those in the Harvest is to come from the overflow of what God is doing in our lives. In Matthew 10:8 Jesus says, "Freely you have received, freely give." I also think of John 7:37-39 where the from the believer rivers of living water flow. This, again, is why I remind folks not to harass people into "sharing their faith." If love, joy and peace are not exploding from a person, they don't have anything to share. But if the Good News is really good news, they cannot help but overflow...
Okay, I could write more, but this is all that I sense I am to do for now. As always, I invite your comments and reflections.
Joy to you,
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Invitation or Confrontation?
First, thanks, everyone, for the comments on last week's post!
I believe that God is always inviting us to change our thinking and change our direction (repentance). Yes, there is some up front change that is required to see and enter the Kingdom, but I think the changing is meant to be continuous rather than occasional. Just a thought.
Notice that I used the word "inviting." I believe that God's preferred method for bringing folks around to where they face Him is invitation, not confrontation, and certainly is never coercion or manipulation. I also believe that even confrontation by God (His very last resort) contains an invitation (think about it). Romans 2:4 says it well where Paul asks, "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (ESV) (And yes, I know the next verse speaks of storing up wrath, etc., for those whose hearts are hard).
So why is it important to think of God inviting more than confronting? There are probably plenty of reasons, I think, but perhaps one of the most important is rooted in the nature of healthy relationships. Relationships can never be coerced, and love can never be forced. Relationships by their very nature require each and every person in the relationship to enter that relationship by a truly free choice. Furthermore, anything that flows from obligation is not pure love because fulfilling an obligation is still all about "me" (borrowed that thought from Wayne Jacobsen). (On the other hand, there are times when genuine love will cause me to go far beyond any obligation!).
So...if the most relational Being in the Universe is wanting relationship with us, His first and preferred approach will always be invitation. We see this clearly in the life of Jesus, don't we? He saved confrontation for those who had missed all of His manifold invitations. And as I said above, even His confrontation was an invitation.
I believe that it is critically important for us to "get this" as we engage the world around us and present the Good News of God's Kingdom. Much of what I have seen that is called "witnessing" has done just the opposite and in the process has misrepresented the nature of God from the beginning. Is it any wonder then, that we have so many in the church for whom kindness, forbearance and patience are not their preferred mode of operation? Hmmm, I wonder.
It is also critically important that we "get this" in our own walk with God. If the God we are getting to know is inviting, wooing and showering us with kindness, we respond in like manner to Him and reflect that to others. On the other hand, if the god we "serve" is always confronting us, we locked in a behavior-based approach to life in the Kingdom and the resulting sourness spills over on others. We see this a lot, don't we? How can I invite someone into a relationship with God who is love when my first approach is confrontation?
Anyway, I could write a lot more about this, but just throwing out the first thoughts. I trust that the God you meet each day in the morning is smiling and that you can hear Him constantly inviting you into deeper relationship with Him and others.
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
I believe that God is always inviting us to change our thinking and change our direction (repentance). Yes, there is some up front change that is required to see and enter the Kingdom, but I think the changing is meant to be continuous rather than occasional. Just a thought.
Notice that I used the word "inviting." I believe that God's preferred method for bringing folks around to where they face Him is invitation, not confrontation, and certainly is never coercion or manipulation. I also believe that even confrontation by God (His very last resort) contains an invitation (think about it). Romans 2:4 says it well where Paul asks, "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (ESV) (And yes, I know the next verse speaks of storing up wrath, etc., for those whose hearts are hard).
So why is it important to think of God inviting more than confronting? There are probably plenty of reasons, I think, but perhaps one of the most important is rooted in the nature of healthy relationships. Relationships can never be coerced, and love can never be forced. Relationships by their very nature require each and every person in the relationship to enter that relationship by a truly free choice. Furthermore, anything that flows from obligation is not pure love because fulfilling an obligation is still all about "me" (borrowed that thought from Wayne Jacobsen). (On the other hand, there are times when genuine love will cause me to go far beyond any obligation!).
So...if the most relational Being in the Universe is wanting relationship with us, His first and preferred approach will always be invitation. We see this clearly in the life of Jesus, don't we? He saved confrontation for those who had missed all of His manifold invitations. And as I said above, even His confrontation was an invitation.
I believe that it is critically important for us to "get this" as we engage the world around us and present the Good News of God's Kingdom. Much of what I have seen that is called "witnessing" has done just the opposite and in the process has misrepresented the nature of God from the beginning. Is it any wonder then, that we have so many in the church for whom kindness, forbearance and patience are not their preferred mode of operation? Hmmm, I wonder.
It is also critically important that we "get this" in our own walk with God. If the God we are getting to know is inviting, wooing and showering us with kindness, we respond in like manner to Him and reflect that to others. On the other hand, if the god we "serve" is always confronting us, we locked in a behavior-based approach to life in the Kingdom and the resulting sourness spills over on others. We see this a lot, don't we? How can I invite someone into a relationship with God who is love when my first approach is confrontation?
Anyway, I could write a lot more about this, but just throwing out the first thoughts. I trust that the God you meet each day in the morning is smiling and that you can hear Him constantly inviting you into deeper relationship with Him and others.
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Anyone Can Hide In A Crowd!
In an earlier article, I wrote, “Those closest to us should be the primary recipients of all the good that God is doing in us—not the recipients of leftovers.” As I reflected on those words recently, I sensed the Father saying, “Anyone can hide in a crowd—especially a leader.”
Sadly, the Western Church has often missed the Kingdom’s life-on-life design. One of the clearest examples is the “bigger is better” mindset, which allows gifted speakers to appear spiritually impressive while neglecting or even harming those closest to them.
But that’s not how God’s Kingdom works. True transformation begins in our closest relationships. The people nearest us should experience the greatest evidence of God’s work in our lives—and from there, it flows outward to others.
I don’t need to cite examples—this problem is all too common in today’s church culture. Just tonight over dinner, Jettie and I were talking about a well-known mega-church pastor who constantly loses staff. And sadly, this kind of pattern repeats itself again and again—often with consequences far worse than staff turnover. (Remember, I live in Colorado Springs—I’ve seen plenty.)
How did we get so far off track? Life in Jesus can only be passed on through close, personal relationships. Integrity means we must live most authentically with those nearest to us. That’s why Paul could say more than once, “You know how I lived,”—something possible only when people live life-on-life.
Jesus modeled this perfectly. When He called the twelve, Mark 3:14 says he chose them “that they might be with him”and then sent them out. Their transformation didn’t come just from his teaching—it came from being with him. His life shaped theirs. Read the Gospels with that lens, and you’ll see it clearly.
The Apostle Paul carried on in this same way. Consider the towering passage in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-12 NIV (This was his earliest letter). I have highlighted certain phrases to make the point.5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,
7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us
9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
And then there's 1 Corinthians 11:1, which virtually requires constant life-on-life contact, and the list could go on (check out Acts 20:18 ff. and 2 Timothy 3:14 for examples).
So what does this mean? In my case, it means that my wife, above all others, should benefit most from God's transforming work in my life. Those closest to me should most clearly see Christ being formed in me. And for you? Fill in the blanks.
This is upside down from much of current church culture, isn't it? Most of the time, those who minister are judged on "anointing" (something every believer has!) or eloquence or the ability to persuade or impress others. But true Kingdomlife requires us to look deeper and live more deeply. As I like to say, "Come live with me. Treat your spouse the way I treat mine. Treat the server the way I treat him/her. Treat those who can't hear what I am saying about them the way I treat them." You get the point. Not that I have perfected any of this, but may my life, far more than my words, be a constant challenge to live loved, surrendered and loving.
There you have it. What do you think?
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,
7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us
9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
And then there's 1 Corinthians 11:1, which virtually requires constant life-on-life contact, and the list could go on (check out Acts 20:18 ff. and 2 Timothy 3:14 for examples).
So what does this mean? In my case, it means that my wife, above all others, should benefit most from God's transforming work in my life. Those closest to me should most clearly see Christ being formed in me. And for you? Fill in the blanks.
This is upside down from much of current church culture, isn't it? Most of the time, those who minister are judged on "anointing" (something every believer has!) or eloquence or the ability to persuade or impress others. But true Kingdomlife requires us to look deeper and live more deeply. As I like to say, "Come live with me. Treat your spouse the way I treat mine. Treat the server the way I treat him/her. Treat those who can't hear what I am saying about them the way I treat them." You get the point. Not that I have perfected any of this, but may my life, far more than my words, be a constant challenge to live loved, surrendered and loving.
There you have it. What do you think?
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Thursday, March 26, 2009
WWJD?????
This post will be more on the theme of living upside down, but first a personal note to invite your prayers. I received news last week that due to deep budget cuts the "paid part" of my role with my denomination will cease to exist as of the end of the month. I am so "upside down" in my thinking that when I heard the news I got excited because I found myself wondering what God will do next! And my joy and peace have increased since that time, even as I have also been reminded by Papa to treasure my wife as she processes this turn of events. Since she processes change differently than I do (big surprise, eh?) I sense Papa telling me to honor her in this and to do everything I can to ease the transition (we will have to downsize our house, etc.). Your prayers for Jettie as we walk through this season will be greatly appreciated.
Okay, now to more upside down thinking. I trust that most of you recognize the acronym in the title, and I begin my comments with some highly insightful comments from The Shack (p. 149).
"Mack just like love, submission is not something that you can do, especially not on your own. Apart from my life inside of you, you can't submit to Nan, or your children, or anyone else in your life, including Papa."
"You mean," Mack interjected a little sarcastically "that I can't just ask, 'What Would Jesus Do'?"
Jesus chuckled. "Good intentions, bad idea. Let me know how it works for you, if that's the way you choose to go." He paused and grew sober. "Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to 'be like Jesus'; it means for your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life. We will come and live our life inside of you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touched with our hands, and think like we do."
WWJD? Wrong question! Well meaning but wrong. The real question, dear ones, is always "What is Jesus doing, right now, in me and around me, that He is inviting me into?"
He lives in you! The question, "What would Jesus do?" implies that He is external to you and locked in the past somewhere! It also leaves you in charge: you decide, apart from Him, what you think He would do. To help you understand this, picture Jesus asking, "What would Father do?"!! Never would have happened. Jesus knew that Father was in Him, and He was always aware of what Father was doing in Him and also what Father was wanting Him to partner with Him in.
Believers can live with an almost constant awareness of what God is doing, so there is no need to ask this question, folks. Indeed, if you find yourself asking this question, I recommend that you stop and still your heart and listen and watch. You will be amazed at what Jesus is doing!
That's it for this time. May you hear Him well (and remember, if you are listening to Him just to get directions or hear correction, you will miss 90% of what He is saying to you!).
Tom, Abba's Little Boy
Okay, now to more upside down thinking. I trust that most of you recognize the acronym in the title, and I begin my comments with some highly insightful comments from The Shack (p. 149).
"Mack just like love, submission is not something that you can do, especially not on your own. Apart from my life inside of you, you can't submit to Nan, or your children, or anyone else in your life, including Papa."
"You mean," Mack interjected a little sarcastically "that I can't just ask, 'What Would Jesus Do'?"
Jesus chuckled. "Good intentions, bad idea. Let me know how it works for you, if that's the way you choose to go." He paused and grew sober. "Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to 'be like Jesus'; it means for your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life. We will come and live our life inside of you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touched with our hands, and think like we do."
WWJD? Wrong question! Well meaning but wrong. The real question, dear ones, is always "What is Jesus doing, right now, in me and around me, that He is inviting me into?"
He lives in you! The question, "What would Jesus do?" implies that He is external to you and locked in the past somewhere! It also leaves you in charge: you decide, apart from Him, what you think He would do. To help you understand this, picture Jesus asking, "What would Father do?"!! Never would have happened. Jesus knew that Father was in Him, and He was always aware of what Father was doing in Him and also what Father was wanting Him to partner with Him in.
Believers can live with an almost constant awareness of what God is doing, so there is no need to ask this question, folks. Indeed, if you find yourself asking this question, I recommend that you stop and still your heart and listen and watch. You will be amazed at what Jesus is doing!
That's it for this time. May you hear Him well (and remember, if you are listening to Him just to get directions or hear correction, you will miss 90% of what He is saying to you!).
Tom, Abba's Little Boy
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Joyfully Upside Down, part 2
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (I Peter 3:15-16 NIV).
Recently I have been sharing the following phrase with people: "Our lives become a paradox that gives rise to a question that creates an invitation." What I mean by that is that our joyfully upside down lives, so upside down from those who don't live in intimacy with God, are a mysterious paradox for those who don't live this way. And this paradoxical way of living inevitably, in my opinion, gives birth to questions in the hearts of our observers. This then may give opportunity for an invitation to consider a different way. This, of course, is the essence of what Peter is writing in the verse quoted above. Our loving, joyful, hope-filled lives become the best possible "witness" to the kindness of God.
There are many passages that suggest how this upside down life unfolds, of course. I Corinthians 13 comes to mind, but I want to focus on another passage that has become increasingly a reality for me and has given life to my joyful upside-downness. It's Philippians 4:8 where Paul says, “To the extent that you are able, sort out your thoughts so that you let your mind dwell on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.” Now in a world that gravitates towards the opposites of these things, having God shape our thoughts to the extent we spend most of our time focusing on such things is upside down for sure.
When most people read Paul's words here they start to imagine how they can force their minds to focus on such things, and it soon becomes an impossible concept. But what if, since we have the mind of Christ, we are already predisposed to think this way as believers? What if the secret is not "mind-control" but "life surrender and God-inundation"? What if learning to allow God's Spirit and His word to saturate us gives birth to this kind of thinking? Indeed, who can be God-blinded and not think this way! When we see the world as Jesus saw it, "God-bathed and God-permeated" as Dallas Willard suggests, how can we not begin to find ourselves seeing goodness and beauty everywhere? Just a thought. :-)
And where does this kind of wholesome thinking focus? I suggest the following. First, we begin to discover ourselves thinking more and more like this when we think of God. What? You already always do think this way about Him? You might just want to check that. Ask the Holy Spirit to monitor and expose what you really think about God and you may be surprised.
Second, we begin to discover ourselves thinking this way about our circumstances. Yep, it's possible to do that in the most barren circumstances, but by surrender, not by trying harder. Third, we discover ourselves thinking more and more these kinds of thoughts about ourselves. This is wonderful news, I think, since so many folks seem unable to escape the negativity of things said to them in their past. But Papa has a way of reshaping our thoughts to such an extent that we begin to believe what He says about us! Then finally, as our thoughts about God and circumstances and self begin to line up with God's reality, we also think that way about others. Amazing how that works.
Can't do any of this on your own, though. Find brothers and sisters who will walk with you in this by encouraging you, and invite Father God to inundate you with His life and lead you into His word in fresh ways. You will soon find yourself living upside down (or more accurately, right side up in an upside down world!).
Just a few thoughts from your truly upside down brother.
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Recently I have been sharing the following phrase with people: "Our lives become a paradox that gives rise to a question that creates an invitation." What I mean by that is that our joyfully upside down lives, so upside down from those who don't live in intimacy with God, are a mysterious paradox for those who don't live this way. And this paradoxical way of living inevitably, in my opinion, gives birth to questions in the hearts of our observers. This then may give opportunity for an invitation to consider a different way. This, of course, is the essence of what Peter is writing in the verse quoted above. Our loving, joyful, hope-filled lives become the best possible "witness" to the kindness of God.
There are many passages that suggest how this upside down life unfolds, of course. I Corinthians 13 comes to mind, but I want to focus on another passage that has become increasingly a reality for me and has given life to my joyful upside-downness. It's Philippians 4:8 where Paul says, “To the extent that you are able, sort out your thoughts so that you let your mind dwell on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.” Now in a world that gravitates towards the opposites of these things, having God shape our thoughts to the extent we spend most of our time focusing on such things is upside down for sure.
When most people read Paul's words here they start to imagine how they can force their minds to focus on such things, and it soon becomes an impossible concept. But what if, since we have the mind of Christ, we are already predisposed to think this way as believers? What if the secret is not "mind-control" but "life surrender and God-inundation"? What if learning to allow God's Spirit and His word to saturate us gives birth to this kind of thinking? Indeed, who can be God-blinded and not think this way! When we see the world as Jesus saw it, "God-bathed and God-permeated" as Dallas Willard suggests, how can we not begin to find ourselves seeing goodness and beauty everywhere? Just a thought. :-)
And where does this kind of wholesome thinking focus? I suggest the following. First, we begin to discover ourselves thinking more and more like this when we think of God. What? You already always do think this way about Him? You might just want to check that. Ask the Holy Spirit to monitor and expose what you really think about God and you may be surprised.
Second, we begin to discover ourselves thinking this way about our circumstances. Yep, it's possible to do that in the most barren circumstances, but by surrender, not by trying harder. Third, we discover ourselves thinking more and more these kinds of thoughts about ourselves. This is wonderful news, I think, since so many folks seem unable to escape the negativity of things said to them in their past. But Papa has a way of reshaping our thoughts to such an extent that we begin to believe what He says about us! Then finally, as our thoughts about God and circumstances and self begin to line up with God's reality, we also think that way about others. Amazing how that works.
Can't do any of this on your own, though. Find brothers and sisters who will walk with you in this by encouraging you, and invite Father God to inundate you with His life and lead you into His word in fresh ways. You will soon find yourself living upside down (or more accurately, right side up in an upside down world!).
Just a few thoughts from your truly upside down brother.
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Judgment?
I had hoped to write more about living loved this week, expanding on the joyfully upside down life, but that will wait until next week because some have asked me to write a response to yet another prophetic blast of judgment on the USA (from David Wilkerson). My friend Larry Silverman has some thoughts similar to mine, but I will add some of my own. You can read Larry's blog at http://www.larrysilverman.blogs.com. (Click here to read it in a new window)
For many years, David Wilkerson (whom I greatly respect) and others along with him have prophesied various disasters coming upon the US and other nations as God's judgment. Along with these disasters comes a warning to Christians to stock up on things, etc. (why? So we can share with our neighbors who didn't hear the warning? I would hope that would be the case!). So what are we to make of these warnings? Here are a few brief thoughts.
First, we should note that a lot of predictions of disaster have come and gone without fulfillment. And although some may have indeed sensed disasters like 911 and Katrina, most of the rhetoric about these and similar disasters seems to follow them rather than precede them (hmmm, something to think about, eh?).
Second, the Bible does clearly teach that as the time of Jesus' return draws near there will be lots of disasters of various types. Jesus Himself taught this and you can read some of His descriptions of things in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. And no matter what one's view of The Revelation is, it does clearly seem to indicate a lot of bad things happening as the end of the present age draws near. So...to think that nothing bad will even happen and that things will continue on as they have is probably a bit naive. However, as Larry points out, New Testament prophets didn't function like Old Testament prophets. There are probably lots of reasons for that, but perhaps primary is that the OT prophets were functioning as prophets to the nations of Israel and Judah, reminding the God's covenant people of the covenant to which they had committed themselves and of the consequences of breaking that covenant, etc. NT prophets are prophets to the people of the Kingdom of God, the ekklesia ("church") who are from all the nations of the earth and who are called to transform society by living transformed and transforming lives.
Third, it seems that the focus of prophecy and even response to it changes in the New Testament. Agabus, for example, does predict accurately a coming famine but he didn't add any interpretation to it about it being God's judgment, and the believers, instead of stockpiling goods for themselves, sent an offering to the poor saints in Jerusalem! (see Acts 11:28-30). Think about this a little and see if it seems a wee bit different from the fear-filled strident voices out there right now.
Fourth, I do believe that nations can remove themselves from God's protection and that the US and other western nations have done so. But even in recognizing this we need to remember that God would have spared the very wicked Sodom and Gomorrah if only 10 righteous people had been found there. God's preferred method of bringing people to a change of heart and thinking is kindness (Romans 2:4), so He seems to use the removal of His protection (which leads to disaster) as a last resort (which is apparently what is described in The Revelation). Yes, He will use pain, and He has and He is (most of us know this!!), but I believe that when He does it is also possible to hear His voice in the pain, so that even in disaster His wooing people to Himself can be heard and responded to. On the other hand, when the destruction is wanton and random, my sense is that this is the result of the enemy of us all, who is called among other things, "the destroyer" (God takes no pleasure even in the death of the wicked, remember? Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11).
Finally, are things being shaken? Absolutely, and one would have to be hiding in total denial to not realize this. And there will certainly be more shaking, because God is wooing people to Himself and away from trusting in anything besides Him. And as Larry Silverman writes, judgment when it comes will come first to God's people, not to punish but to purify so that we can be blessings to those around us by being freed from ensnarement to our culture and its warped values. For me, I believe that God is calling us now, with the music of invitation, so that when disaster comes in any form, we will be ready because of His deep deposits of love and generosity in Him, not by stockpiling goods (go ahead, though, and do this if God and not fear leads you to do so).
Just some rambling thoughts. For me, I am choosing to listen to God's voice so that I can be fully present in each moment for whomever He may lead my way. I hear Papa inviting me and all who have ears to hear to transform my world, not judge it. :-)
Living in faith, not fear (at least most of the time!),
Tom, one of Papa's little boys
For many years, David Wilkerson (whom I greatly respect) and others along with him have prophesied various disasters coming upon the US and other nations as God's judgment. Along with these disasters comes a warning to Christians to stock up on things, etc. (why? So we can share with our neighbors who didn't hear the warning? I would hope that would be the case!). So what are we to make of these warnings? Here are a few brief thoughts.
First, we should note that a lot of predictions of disaster have come and gone without fulfillment. And although some may have indeed sensed disasters like 911 and Katrina, most of the rhetoric about these and similar disasters seems to follow them rather than precede them (hmmm, something to think about, eh?).
Second, the Bible does clearly teach that as the time of Jesus' return draws near there will be lots of disasters of various types. Jesus Himself taught this and you can read some of His descriptions of things in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. And no matter what one's view of The Revelation is, it does clearly seem to indicate a lot of bad things happening as the end of the present age draws near. So...to think that nothing bad will even happen and that things will continue on as they have is probably a bit naive. However, as Larry points out, New Testament prophets didn't function like Old Testament prophets. There are probably lots of reasons for that, but perhaps primary is that the OT prophets were functioning as prophets to the nations of Israel and Judah, reminding the God's covenant people of the covenant to which they had committed themselves and of the consequences of breaking that covenant, etc. NT prophets are prophets to the people of the Kingdom of God, the ekklesia ("church") who are from all the nations of the earth and who are called to transform society by living transformed and transforming lives.
Third, it seems that the focus of prophecy and even response to it changes in the New Testament. Agabus, for example, does predict accurately a coming famine but he didn't add any interpretation to it about it being God's judgment, and the believers, instead of stockpiling goods for themselves, sent an offering to the poor saints in Jerusalem! (see Acts 11:28-30). Think about this a little and see if it seems a wee bit different from the fear-filled strident voices out there right now.
Fourth, I do believe that nations can remove themselves from God's protection and that the US and other western nations have done so. But even in recognizing this we need to remember that God would have spared the very wicked Sodom and Gomorrah if only 10 righteous people had been found there. God's preferred method of bringing people to a change of heart and thinking is kindness (Romans 2:4), so He seems to use the removal of His protection (which leads to disaster) as a last resort (which is apparently what is described in The Revelation). Yes, He will use pain, and He has and He is (most of us know this!!), but I believe that when He does it is also possible to hear His voice in the pain, so that even in disaster His wooing people to Himself can be heard and responded to. On the other hand, when the destruction is wanton and random, my sense is that this is the result of the enemy of us all, who is called among other things, "the destroyer" (God takes no pleasure even in the death of the wicked, remember? Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11).
Finally, are things being shaken? Absolutely, and one would have to be hiding in total denial to not realize this. And there will certainly be more shaking, because God is wooing people to Himself and away from trusting in anything besides Him. And as Larry Silverman writes, judgment when it comes will come first to God's people, not to punish but to purify so that we can be blessings to those around us by being freed from ensnarement to our culture and its warped values. For me, I believe that God is calling us now, with the music of invitation, so that when disaster comes in any form, we will be ready because of His deep deposits of love and generosity in Him, not by stockpiling goods (go ahead, though, and do this if God and not fear leads you to do so).
Just some rambling thoughts. For me, I am choosing to listen to God's voice so that I can be fully present in each moment for whomever He may lead my way. I hear Papa inviting me and all who have ears to hear to transform my world, not judge it. :-)
Living in faith, not fear (at least most of the time!),
Tom, one of Papa's little boys
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Joyfully Upside Down
This past weekend I was with some dear friends (long-time and new ones) to see what Papa would do among us. It was a joyful time, and it emphasized to me how "joyfully upside down" God has caused my life to be. Indeed, "upside down" is a phrase that seems to describe much of what I sense God doing in the world today for those who have hearts to hear and see what He is up to. And compared to my view of things about five years ago before my Secret Place encounter with Him, and compared to how most believers seem to view things, I am indeed completely upside down! I felt that I should share some of the things that are core to this new joyful upside down state. I may elaborate on some of these over the next few posts. For today, I will mainly just list them. Partly this is for the benefit of those whom I served this past weekend, but it will also give us lots to dialog about, methinks!
The Bible really is true, and it is true for all who will come on the journey with Jesus. In other words, when the Bible says that the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power, and that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc., it means that every believer, without exception, can indeed live a life characterized by love, joy, peace, righteousness, power, etc. This raises the obvious question of why so many believers' lives don't match this reality, which I will not try to answer in this post (check out some of my earlier ones). My intention at this point is to simply state what is now a continuing and increasing reality in my life and the lives of many others I know.
To use Wayne Jacobsen's term, "living loved" is the key to everything. For many reasons, many followers of Jesus struggle with the foundational reality of God's delight in them, His unrelenting commitment to do what is best for them always because of His infinite, unchanging love for them.
Those closest to us should be the primary recipients of all the good that God is doing in us, not the recipients of “leftovers.” Think about this one and you will get it, I trust!
It is possible to live in a place of peace that is so deep and pervasive that any attempt to push, coerce, point to myself, impress another, etc., is instantly noticeable. This is where I am occasionally privileged to live. Peace, as readers of this blog know, is becoming the compass within me that lets me know if I am walking away from dependence and surrender and heading back into self-effort.
It is possible to live, at least most of the time, from a perspective that is always able to see that God is working in every situation (and if you do, it becomes almost impossible to worry or do anything but rejoice!). The whole earth is already full of His glory, already God-bathed and God-permeated. The reason Jesus was able to live as He did was that He saw the glory (the goodness!) of God continually. (I am grateful to Dallas Willard for most of these insights.)
Every person we meet is a treasure, and remembering this changes everything and enables us to treat everyone with honor and become fully present as we listen to them.
I close with an interchange between Papa and me on December 24, 2008 (from my journal).
Ah, Papa…David said, “I delight to do your will…”
“Yes, child. That is my desire and my plan for you and for all my people. Many serve me, but few do so in my ways, from delight and wonder, as my children. Most serve me from duty and responsibility and that accomplishes some good things, but how I love it when my children dance with me as they watch my kingdom explode in and around them! Yes, child, I continue to move you from duty to delight, from obligation to desire, from walking/trudging to flying! Fly, joyful yet fierce Eagle, fly!”
Stay lost in Papa's love!
The Bible really is true, and it is true for all who will come on the journey with Jesus. In other words, when the Bible says that the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power, and that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc., it means that every believer, without exception, can indeed live a life characterized by love, joy, peace, righteousness, power, etc. This raises the obvious question of why so many believers' lives don't match this reality, which I will not try to answer in this post (check out some of my earlier ones). My intention at this point is to simply state what is now a continuing and increasing reality in my life and the lives of many others I know.
To use Wayne Jacobsen's term, "living loved" is the key to everything. For many reasons, many followers of Jesus struggle with the foundational reality of God's delight in them, His unrelenting commitment to do what is best for them always because of His infinite, unchanging love for them.
Those closest to us should be the primary recipients of all the good that God is doing in us, not the recipients of “leftovers.” Think about this one and you will get it, I trust!
It is possible to live in a place of peace that is so deep and pervasive that any attempt to push, coerce, point to myself, impress another, etc., is instantly noticeable. This is where I am occasionally privileged to live. Peace, as readers of this blog know, is becoming the compass within me that lets me know if I am walking away from dependence and surrender and heading back into self-effort.
It is possible to live, at least most of the time, from a perspective that is always able to see that God is working in every situation (and if you do, it becomes almost impossible to worry or do anything but rejoice!). The whole earth is already full of His glory, already God-bathed and God-permeated. The reason Jesus was able to live as He did was that He saw the glory (the goodness!) of God continually. (I am grateful to Dallas Willard for most of these insights.)
Every person we meet is a treasure, and remembering this changes everything and enables us to treat everyone with honor and become fully present as we listen to them.
Every follower of Jesus can hear His voice all the time (John 10:27) and indeed, this is essential to this lifestyle of joyful upside down living I am describing.
Authority, true authority flows from humility and intimacy, and humility is a crucial measure for how much we should trust those who lead us. We were created for intimacy with God and one another and it is God's desire that all doing will flow out of being, with Holy Spirit inside of us leading and supplying all things. We really can do nothing apart from Jesus, the Vine!
The life of following Jesus is a dance and a delight rather than duty. Anytime I feel duty or obligation beginning to form in my thinking, I need to stop and re-center my life!
Invitation is much preferred to confrontation. Much of "Christianity" in the past has been, unlike Jesus, based on confrontation (He saved that for the religious people of His day), rather than invitation. Our joyful, peaceful, loving lives are to be a paradox that becomes an invitation into this journey.
Delighting in His Word, having it truly in our hearts, is easy if we are living loved and delighting in Him and it is also essential to living this life.
Prayer for me has now changed. I now find myself praying while I am standing in the stream of God’s goodness and/or praying with God on one side of the table, me on the other and the person I am praying for between us (think about it).
Authority, true authority flows from humility and intimacy, and humility is a crucial measure for how much we should trust those who lead us. We were created for intimacy with God and one another and it is God's desire that all doing will flow out of being, with Holy Spirit inside of us leading and supplying all things. We really can do nothing apart from Jesus, the Vine!
The life of following Jesus is a dance and a delight rather than duty. Anytime I feel duty or obligation beginning to form in my thinking, I need to stop and re-center my life!
Invitation is much preferred to confrontation. Much of "Christianity" in the past has been, unlike Jesus, based on confrontation (He saved that for the religious people of His day), rather than invitation. Our joyful, peaceful, loving lives are to be a paradox that becomes an invitation into this journey.
Delighting in His Word, having it truly in our hearts, is easy if we are living loved and delighting in Him and it is also essential to living this life.
Prayer for me has now changed. I now find myself praying while I am standing in the stream of God’s goodness and/or praying with God on one side of the table, me on the other and the person I am praying for between us (think about it).
Okay. This is a boatload of some of the things that Papa has been doing in me, showing to me over the past couple of years. They are submitted to you for your pondering, for your comments.
I close with an interchange between Papa and me on December 24, 2008 (from my journal).
Ah, Papa…David said, “I delight to do your will…”
“Yes, child. That is my desire and my plan for you and for all my people. Many serve me, but few do so in my ways, from delight and wonder, as my children. Most serve me from duty and responsibility and that accomplishes some good things, but how I love it when my children dance with me as they watch my kingdom explode in and around them! Yes, child, I continue to move you from duty to delight, from obligation to desire, from walking/trudging to flying! Fly, joyful yet fierce Eagle, fly!”
Stay lost in Papa's love!
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
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