Those Who Have Gone Before

First, is anyone reading this blog? If so, would you be so kind as to email me at tomwymore@gmail.com and let me know? I have other things to do and will post less frequently if no one is benefiting! Thanks.

In last week's post, I promised that I would break away from my current topic and post some thoughts from one of my mentors, Smith Wigglesworth. Smith Wigglesworth is one of those who like Abel, "though he is dead, still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4). Smith died in 1947, but his life and words still influence those of burning heart who know that what God is up to these days includes learning to "do what Jesus did" in terms of the supernatural. Smith Wigglesworth saw thousands of people healed and delivered from demons during his years on the earth (and even a few dead folks raised). But what attracts me to him most is that he walked in humility to the end of his days and ministered to people out of deep compassion as well as power.
It is reported that Smith Wigglesworth lived the last 30 years of his life almost continually in God's presence. Following are some quotes by him from a now out-of-print book that give us some clues as to how this was possible. (The book is entitled Smith Wigglesworth Speaks to Students of the Bible). I will let his words speak for themselves.

Regarding discerning God's voice:
So these voices, if they have taking you out of peace, you will know it is not the will of God. But if the Spirit speaks, He will bring harmony and joy, because the Spirit always brings three things: comfort, consolation and edification; and He will make you sing songs in the night... if you are wild, that is the devil. If you go breathlessly to the Bible, looking for confirmation of the voice, that is the devil. (Page 131)
When you were so undone that unless God helped you do it, you couldn't do it, when you were so broken in the spirit that your whole body seemed to be at an end unless God reinstated you… then the unction came... Jesus was so manifested that they all said "Oh, wasn't Jesus speaking to our hearts this morning!" (Page 102)
Most people fail to come into a perfect line with God because they allow their own reasoning to defeat the power that God has. (Page 88)It is the easiest thing to get the mind of the Lord when your whole heart is only desiring the will of the Lord. (page 11)
The difference is joy, gladness, expression; instead of sadness, sorrow and depression. You are always right to try to spirits to see whether they are of God. If you do not, then you will be sure to be caught napping. (page 128)

If ever you know anything about God, it will be peace... God showed me a long time ago... but if I was disturbed in my spirit and was at unrest, I had missed the plan. (Page 129)

Regarding the type of commitment required to move in true spiritual power:

Once I thought I'd possessed the Holy Ghost, but I have come to the conclusion that he has to be entirely the possessor of me. (Page 43)

The Holy Spirit is shown to me that all the time he is helping me I have got to be nothing (page 76).

Regarding humility:

People are failing God all the time all over the world because they are eloquent and taken up with the eloquence, and God is not in it. (Page 102)

It is satanic to feel that you are different from anybody else, that God has a special message for you, and that you are someone very particular. Every place that God brings you to is a rising tide of humility, brokenness of heart, fullness of surrender, where only God can rule and authority-not when you are somebody, but where God is everything, and where you will be living for the exhibition of his glory. (Page 134)

Regarding living in a place of peace and power:

If you are not at peace something is wrong. If you are not at rest, something has taken place. God means you to be so at peace as if you were in heaven. (Page 88)

There you have it. I wanted to share these because this particular book is hard to find--this kind of man of God is hard to find!

Grace to you,

Tom, one of Abba's children

Be Like Jesus (part 3)

         Here is yet another thought on what it means to be like Jesus. To be like Jesus means to live in absolute dependence upon God, in absolute surrender to His will and purposes. I have hinted at this in my other posts, but I want to flesh it out a bit more.
     Jesus specifically stated that He did nothing apart from His Father. In John 5:30 He says, "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me." (We have also looked at John 5:19 in earlier posts, which says something similar).
     Because of His dependence upon the Father, Jesus had very few decisions to make--He lived a truly simple life! His decisions were simply to listen to the Father and to do what He said, trusting in the Father's love, leadership and power.      Since Jesus taught that His followers were also to live in absolute dependence upon Him (John 15:4-5), our lives can also become remarkably simple. If we choose to be like Jesus, we find ourselves simply deciding to do whatever it takes to increase our ability to hear His voice and then deciding to obey what we hear, trusting in His love, leadership and power.
     Hmmm, I wonder how many believers (leaders or otherwise) can say that they truly live like that? We are good at quoting John 15:5 and Proverbs 3:5-6, but can we really say that we live a life that continually listens to, obeys and relies upon Him?
     I wonder what that would look like? I am fully committed to discovering the answer to this question, but if you join me in this, be forewarned! The little piece of the journey that I have taken so far has completely disrupted my previously comfortable world--so get ready for the "ride of your life"!
     Next time, I will post some wise words from someone who got remarkably close to living this out: Smith Wigglesworth.

Until then, may you stay lost in His love,

Tom, the least of Abba's children

Be Like Jesus (part 2)

Let's talk a little more about what it means to "be like Jesus."  
     

When my younger son, Joshua, turned 10, he became remarkably obedient to his mother and me. Both of my sons were always well-behaved, but this change in Josh was especially noticeable. What caused Joshua's behavior to improve so significantly? We didn't find out until years later when we heard Josh share his testimony. He said that around age 10, he decided that he loved us, his mommy and daddy, so much that he never wanted to hurt us by disobeying us! When I heard Josh say this, I almost fell out of my chair! What he expressed was every parent's dream: his obedience stemmed from love, not fear of consequences. 

     

But how does this relate to learning to be like Jesus? It’s everything! Jesus, who has experienced a lifetime of being loved by his Father, perfectly obeys his Father out of love for his Father. He says this in several places, but perhaps one of the clearest is found in John 14:31, "the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me." (NIV84).

     

Jesus expected His followers to live with the same love-prompted obedience. In John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (HCSB). These words were spoken in the context of Jesus deeply loving his disciples for over three years. So, in a sense, Jesus is saying, "I have shown you how truly loved you are, and you have responded with love for me. Now let your love for me motivate your obedience to me."
     

Jesus again speaks about love and obedience in John 15:9-10 (HCSB): "As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love." Is Jesus saying here that he and/or the Father will stop loving the disciples if they don't keep his commandments? Not at all, but he is suggesting that love motivates obedience which then keeps us "within the range" of God's blessings.
     

I hope this is taking root in your heart. God is constantly pouring his love upon us, and he wants us to grasp that love so that we cannot help but respond with loving obedience. This is what my son, Josh, did. Josh didn't make that decision in a vacuum. He knew that he was deeply loved, treasured, respected, cared for, etc. Without meaning to boast, let me share some words from a poem Josh gave me years ago: "They were happy, well-behaved children who obeyed willingly one whom they knew could be trusted, one whom they did not fear... These two boys somehow knew that their father delighted in them and that he always had their best interest inmind."
     

How about you? Do you truly know that Abba, Father, loves you, delights in you and always has your best interest in mind? Does your obedience freely flow from your heart because you know that you are loved, or are you still trying to obey to earn his love? You cannot be like Jesus until you get this right! If we are to be like Jesus, it means that we press into his love more and more so that we never, ever doubt it! When we live in his love, experiencing it ever more fully in innumerable ways, we will indeed obey freely and fully, just like Jesus.
     
 Learning to live loved so that, in love, I will freely obey and become more like Jesus.

Tom, one of Abba's children

Be Like Jesus (part 1)

The Lord has repeatedly directed my attention to Psalm 44:3 lately: "It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them." (NIV) When I pondered why He was leading me to this passage so often, I realized it was because the Father wants me to "be like Jesus." Let me explain...
     

Most followers of Jesus quickly learn that our destiny is to become more and more like Jesus. Romans 8:29 says becoming like Him is our God-determined destiny; see also Matthew 10:25, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 2:5 ff., 2 Corinthians 3:18, etc.
     

But before we go further, I remind you that any change in our lives happens because of God’s work in us and our trusting response to Him, not our own, independent, self-effort! We don’t become like Jesus by trying to apply His teachings or by trying to copy His example; instead, we allow Him, through His Spirit, to live His life in and through us. As we surrender to His guidance and trust in His power, we are transformed. It’s a simple, childlike way of living that replaces independent human effort with childlike trust, dependence, and obedience in our relationship with Jesus.
     

So, having discussed “the how,” what does it mean to “become like Jesus"? Most Christians answer this by saying we are supposed to become like Jesus in His character—loving, compassionate, kind, and so on (Galatians 5:22-23 comes to mind), and that's certainly true. But I believe there are many other ways we are meant to become like Jesus. A few notable ones include "doing what Jesus did" (supernatural signs and wonders, see John 14:12), living in close community as Jesus did ("All men will know that you are my disciples by your healthy relationships--John 13:34-35"), discipling like Jesus—by example, demonstration, leading to discovery, and sometimes through words—living in faith as Jesus did, and the list could go on.
     

But there is one way we are to be like Jesus that's more important than all others and serves as the foundation for everything else. Can you guess what it is? It is to have the same intimate, love-filled relationship with Father God that Jesus shared. If we want to become like Jesus and "do what Jesus did," we must first learn how to live in the Father's love the way Jesus did. In fact, this is the core of “the how” I mentioned earlier—you can't become like Jesus without learning to live in the Father's love as Jesus did.

     

We know that Jesus did nothing apart from the Father and that He lived a life of total obedience and dependence on the Father (see John 5:17-30), but do we truly understand why and how He lived such a submitted, obedient life? It was because of the intimacy He enjoyed with His Abba. From the time Jesus was a young child, He knew God as His Abba, and what He experienced most of all was Abba's love for Him.
     

The love relationship between Jesus and His Father was deep and passionate beyond our understanding, and I am convinced that Jesus' perfect love for His Father was, above all else, what motivated Him to perfect obedience. Jesus' love was a direct response to His Father's love for, and delight in, Him. It’s no accident that the Father said, "You are my Son; I love you and I delight in You," before Jesus had begun any ministry! (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22). Think about that for a moment, and you will see why it's so important for you to have the same relationship with Abba that Jesus had! Can you hear God affirming you apart from what you do?
     

In addition to John 5, we see Jesus' close relationship with His Abba across all the Gospels. Two passages that particularly catch my attention are Mark 1:35-39 and Luke 5:15-16. Both describe Jesus during times of very successful ministry. In the first passage, Jesus leaves behind highly successful ministry after spending time with the Father — how many of us could leave "success" like that? In the second passage, in the midst of the crowds and success it says of Jesus (my literal translation): "But Jesus was withdrawing to lonely places and praying." Most translations miss the meaning here, rendering it as "But He would often withdraw," but that's not what it says. It states that, even in the midst of crowds, Jesus was (always/continually) withdrawing and praying. Think about this for a moment, and you'll see the implication: Jesus was constantly doing whatever it took to stay in close relationship with His Father. Can we less?
     

I believe that Jesus lived His life gazing at the Father's face! He saw what the Father was doing (John 5:19), not because He was seeking His next move, but because He loved His Father and couldn't help but look at Him! It was His deep love for His Father that motivated everything He did and enabled Him to trust His Father completely. In my opinion, there is no other way to become like Jesus than to enter into the same kind of intimate love relationship with Abba.
     

Too idealistic, you say? Maybe you should read what David wrote in Psalm 27:4 (look it up). You might also consider a proper translation of 2 Corinthians 3:18. The NRSV gets it right: "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." The background of this passage is Moses' request to see the glory of the Lord in Exodus 33-34. Both David and Moses were consumed with a love for God that drew them to a place of simply wanting to gaze upon His beauty (and His beauty includes His love for us/you).
     

Want to be like Jesus? You can't! Not unless you first enter wholeheartedly into the Father's love. Romans 5:5 states that the Holy Spirit pours Abba's love into our hearts experientially. My prayer is that as you read this, He will do that very thing for you in such a way that you can see "the light of His face" (His smile!).

Tom, one of Abba's children

What's Really Happening?

     Like many others, I have been pondering what God is really up to in our world with the move towards simple/house churches (and the other things He seems to be stirring up as well). There is clearly a move towards simplicity, community, intimacy, mission, etc. But are there some even deeper things going on? I think so.
     To me, there are two major things happening. From God's side, I believe that Jesus is wooing His people (His Bride) back to Himself. As people have for years been stirred to pray for revival, God is beginning to answer those prayers by calling the church to humility, intimacy, community, purity and authority (preparation). I will write on these five things later.
     From the human side, I believe that God's work in our hearts has created a tremendous, growing discontent with the gap between our experience and Scripture. Have you noticed how much the Western Church has historically re-written the Bible to match its experience or else ignored what's written there because it was not experiencing it? Let me cite a few examples.
     First, let's start with something easy: joy! The New Testament is filled with references to joy as one of the distinguishing marks of early believers (Galatians 5:22 "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy..." and 1 Peter 1:8 "you are trusting in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…"). So...where's that kind of joy among God's people in the North American Church?
     How about another one? Paul in writing to Timothy says, "if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Timothy 6:8 NIV) and later says, "Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them." (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLT). Keeping in mind that almost all Americans are wealthy by the world's standards, try sharing those two thoughts with US believers. Where indeed is our trust? I don't mean to be negative here--just wondering out loud about the gap between Scripture and reality.
     Okay, just one more for now. I am meddling for sure. How about John 14:12? Jesus says, "The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." (NLT, emphasis mine). I believe that the increased hunger for the supernatural is happening among God's people because this verse is so clearly not our present experience! (To say nothing about the hundreds of other "power and authority" passages like 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 2 Corinthians 4:7, etc.). Notice, too, that Jesus said, "anyone" not specially gifted folks! Hmmm. What could that mean?
     Well, you get the point, I think. God is calling His people back to a place to where anytime Scripture challenges our reality, we allow Scripture to win and subsequently ask God to rewrite our reality. Many of the posts in this blog will focus along this theme. Stay posted to see the dozens of other discrepancies between experience and Scripture that I believe God is now addressing.

Tom, one of Abba's children