Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Stirring it up
Here was my reading this morning from John 5:1-6
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie-the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?".
So, I got this picture in my mind of all these people lying around this pool of water. Probably some were crying out in anguish. Maybe some were downcast, and depressed. Inevitably, some were likely to be there purely out of curiosity, to see if what they had heard about the "healing pool" was true. I imagine that there were family members of the afflicted as well. If you read a little further, we see that when the waters were stirred, people could enter and receive their healing. Can you imagine the excitement of these people? They were probably shouting, and leaping for joy. So, when Jesus spoke to this man, and said "Do you want to get well?", it seemed like an odd question. The man was obviously lame. According to the scripture,he had this condition for 38 years. He was there at the pool. Of course he wanted to get well, I thought. So why, then, did Jesus ask this question? I have learned that when Jesus asks a question, it is worth reading a few times. Jesus doesn't ask questions so He can learn something new about us. He is God, and He is all-knowing. Jesus asks questions to allow us to see what the condition of our heart is. When we have to formulate our answer, it requires us to do some soul searching.
Sometimes we don't really know what is in our heart, until we come face to face with a direct question. Everywhere Jesus went, He "stirred the waters". He loves for us to see what our true feelings and motives are. For only then, can we see our need for adjustment. The other day, Luis made a pot of coffee, and on my way out the door, I quickly poured myself a cup. I added my cream and milk, and it looked delicious-I mean I could taste it, even before I tasted it...I love my coffee! But when I took a spoon and started to stir it, I realized that there were coffee grounds in the bottom of the cup. blah! What seemed delectable, became detestable after I stirred it up.
"Do you want to be well"? It takes more than just showing up. That man at Bethesda showed up every day. But that specific day, Jesus gave that man a clear set of instructions: "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk". If that man had chosen to stay on the ground, he probably would have been there until he died. God wants to give us a clear set of instructions for our life as well. He wants to give us direct revelation for our lives. He does not want us to rely on communicated information from some other source. He wants us to hear it straight from Him. Showing up is vital, but it is just the first step. We need to be alert. We need to have an attentive ear. We need to be willing to act. We need to be obedient to God and His word. We need to be willing to let go of what is comfortable, what is familiar, what is culturally accepted. We need to decide once and for all that the culture of heaven is more important than our western counterpart. The culture of today doesn't allow for this. The world screams, "Be tolerant!", while God says, "Be holy.". This generation is very different from the generations of the past. There is little regard for authority. The concept of right and wrong has been severely skewed. God has become an afterthought, if He is even a thought at all. We have become a "me" culture. In general we are takers rather than givers with servants hearts. I heard a Pastor say recently that "this generation is the most reckless generation yet. The music is dark. Everything about the culture of today is hopeless. There is no vision for tomorrow." The previous generation, dropped the ball, and decided not to pass the values instilled to them by the generation before. Consequently, the generation of today is left to find their own way, with no moral guide. A path that is dimly lit, at best. So we, as followers of Christ are also called to stir the waters. Not in a hostile way, but humbly. We should live different, sound different, act different, react different than the culture around us. We should stick out like a sore thumb, but the church today, in general, has developed a highly effective camouflage, to the point where they are nearly invisible. God desires us to "want to be well". He wants us to be effective. He wants us to used by Him. He wants to lead us and guide us by His Spirit. He has not turned His back on this generation, we have turned our back on Him. He is stirring the waters again. I want in!
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie-the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?".
So, I got this picture in my mind of all these people lying around this pool of water. Probably some were crying out in anguish. Maybe some were downcast, and depressed. Inevitably, some were likely to be there purely out of curiosity, to see if what they had heard about the "healing pool" was true. I imagine that there were family members of the afflicted as well. If you read a little further, we see that when the waters were stirred, people could enter and receive their healing. Can you imagine the excitement of these people? They were probably shouting, and leaping for joy. So, when Jesus spoke to this man, and said "Do you want to get well?", it seemed like an odd question. The man was obviously lame. According to the scripture,he had this condition for 38 years. He was there at the pool. Of course he wanted to get well, I thought. So why, then, did Jesus ask this question? I have learned that when Jesus asks a question, it is worth reading a few times. Jesus doesn't ask questions so He can learn something new about us. He is God, and He is all-knowing. Jesus asks questions to allow us to see what the condition of our heart is. When we have to formulate our answer, it requires us to do some soul searching.
Sometimes we don't really know what is in our heart, until we come face to face with a direct question. Everywhere Jesus went, He "stirred the waters". He loves for us to see what our true feelings and motives are. For only then, can we see our need for adjustment. The other day, Luis made a pot of coffee, and on my way out the door, I quickly poured myself a cup. I added my cream and milk, and it looked delicious-I mean I could taste it, even before I tasted it...I love my coffee! But when I took a spoon and started to stir it, I realized that there were coffee grounds in the bottom of the cup. blah! What seemed delectable, became detestable after I stirred it up.
"Do you want to be well"? It takes more than just showing up. That man at Bethesda showed up every day. But that specific day, Jesus gave that man a clear set of instructions: "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk". If that man had chosen to stay on the ground, he probably would have been there until he died. God wants to give us a clear set of instructions for our life as well. He wants to give us direct revelation for our lives. He does not want us to rely on communicated information from some other source. He wants us to hear it straight from Him. Showing up is vital, but it is just the first step. We need to be alert. We need to have an attentive ear. We need to be willing to act. We need to be obedient to God and His word. We need to be willing to let go of what is comfortable, what is familiar, what is culturally accepted. We need to decide once and for all that the culture of heaven is more important than our western counterpart. The culture of today doesn't allow for this. The world screams, "Be tolerant!", while God says, "Be holy.". This generation is very different from the generations of the past. There is little regard for authority. The concept of right and wrong has been severely skewed. God has become an afterthought, if He is even a thought at all. We have become a "me" culture. In general we are takers rather than givers with servants hearts. I heard a Pastor say recently that "this generation is the most reckless generation yet. The music is dark. Everything about the culture of today is hopeless. There is no vision for tomorrow." The previous generation, dropped the ball, and decided not to pass the values instilled to them by the generation before. Consequently, the generation of today is left to find their own way, with no moral guide. A path that is dimly lit, at best. So we, as followers of Christ are also called to stir the waters. Not in a hostile way, but humbly. We should live different, sound different, act different, react different than the culture around us. We should stick out like a sore thumb, but the church today, in general, has developed a highly effective camouflage, to the point where they are nearly invisible. God desires us to "want to be well". He wants us to be effective. He wants us to used by Him. He wants to lead us and guide us by His Spirit. He has not turned His back on this generation, we have turned our back on Him. He is stirring the waters again. I want in!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Hosanna
I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing
Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest
I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity
(Hosanna-Hillsong United, Austrailia)
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing
Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest
I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity
(Hosanna-Hillsong United, Austrailia)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Who I Am
God spoke something to me when I was driving today. He said,
"Until you begin to fully see yourself the way I see you, you will never be as effective as I want you to be. When your perception of yourself is less than My perception of you, you will not be free to completely flow in my Spirit. You will still flow, but with apprehension and with insecurity. When you embrace yourself the way I see you, only then can I flow through you unhindered."
So, when I got home, I began to say, OK Lord, how do you see me? A flood of scriptures entered my head, starting with
I am the head and not the tail, the top and not the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13)
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14).
I am a new creature. (2 Cor 5:17)
I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might. (Micah 3:8)
I am strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)
I am the apple of His eye. (Zechariah 2:8)
I am the child of the Most High. (Luke 6:35)
I am loved by God and nothing can separate me from His love. (Romans 8:35)
I am chosen by God. (Ephesians 1:4)
I am forgiven and my sin-debt is paid. (Colossians 2:13-14)
I am strengthened for all tasks to which God calls me. (Philippians 4:13)
I am never alone --- God will not leave me. (Hebrews 13:5)
I could go on and on, but what a great start!
The world is so busy telling us what we are NOT, convincing us if we just did this or that, or bought this or that, THEN we would be fulfilled. If we only looked a little thinner, darker, blonder, sexier, then we would truly be content. We are constantly trying to measure up to the latest supermodel, top notch job, flashy car, thinking that is what is going to bring us contentment. In the church, the religious spirit rises up today, just as it did in Jesus' time. Remember what the word says, "There is nothing new under the sun". (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The minute you stand up, and declare who you are in Christ (according to what God has spoken in His word), all the hairs stand straight up on the backs of the deeply religious, and a, "Who do you think you are" attitude rears it's ugly head. Satan does not want us to understand and become who we are in God's eyes. Because when we do, we will walk in a holy boldness, powerful and mighty in the strength of the Lord, and we will be used by God to destroy the chains and shackles that have bound ourselves, our loved ones, and all those around us. We will take back ground that he has stolen. We will boldly speak the word of God, bringing thousands into forgiveness and right relationship with their Lord.
I have been asleep too long. It's time to be who I was created to be. It's time for you to be who God has created you to be.
Be the real you.
"Until you begin to fully see yourself the way I see you, you will never be as effective as I want you to be. When your perception of yourself is less than My perception of you, you will not be free to completely flow in my Spirit. You will still flow, but with apprehension and with insecurity. When you embrace yourself the way I see you, only then can I flow through you unhindered."
So, when I got home, I began to say, OK Lord, how do you see me? A flood of scriptures entered my head, starting with
I am the head and not the tail, the top and not the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13)
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14).
I am a new creature. (2 Cor 5:17)
I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might. (Micah 3:8)
I am strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)
I am the apple of His eye. (Zechariah 2:8)
I am the child of the Most High. (Luke 6:35)
I am loved by God and nothing can separate me from His love. (Romans 8:35)
I am chosen by God. (Ephesians 1:4)
I am forgiven and my sin-debt is paid. (Colossians 2:13-14)
I am strengthened for all tasks to which God calls me. (Philippians 4:13)
I am never alone --- God will not leave me. (Hebrews 13:5)
I could go on and on, but what a great start!
The world is so busy telling us what we are NOT, convincing us if we just did this or that, or bought this or that, THEN we would be fulfilled. If we only looked a little thinner, darker, blonder, sexier, then we would truly be content. We are constantly trying to measure up to the latest supermodel, top notch job, flashy car, thinking that is what is going to bring us contentment. In the church, the religious spirit rises up today, just as it did in Jesus' time. Remember what the word says, "There is nothing new under the sun". (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The minute you stand up, and declare who you are in Christ (according to what God has spoken in His word), all the hairs stand straight up on the backs of the deeply religious, and a, "Who do you think you are" attitude rears it's ugly head. Satan does not want us to understand and become who we are in God's eyes. Because when we do, we will walk in a holy boldness, powerful and mighty in the strength of the Lord, and we will be used by God to destroy the chains and shackles that have bound ourselves, our loved ones, and all those around us. We will take back ground that he has stolen. We will boldly speak the word of God, bringing thousands into forgiveness and right relationship with their Lord.
I have been asleep too long. It's time to be who I was created to be. It's time for you to be who God has created you to be.
Be the real you.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Receptacles
Last week, I did a MAJOR cleaning in our house. Things had just gotten out of control and there were messes everywhere! I have say that the boys room was the worst it has been in a long time. It took us nearly two hours to get to a place where I could vacuum the carpet and close the closet doors again. They had clothes and toys everywhere. When we finished, I had the boys sit on the floor with me and we had a little talk. I asked them why they thought it was so hard for them to keep their room clean. Jonathan piped up, as he usually does, and he said, "We don't have any place to put our dirty clothes and our toy boxes aren't big enough". I looked in the corner where their hamper use to be and, sure enough, it wasn't there. I looked at their toy boxes and they were both overflowing. Because there was a lack of a place to put dirty clothes, they ended up on the floor, on the bed, under the bed, in the closet and in the toy box. Granted, they could have just made a pile in the space where the hamper used to be, or they could have asked me where the hamper was, but they didn't. I retrieved it from my room (oops), and put it back in it's place. We still need to go through the toy box. They hold on to EVERYTHING (gee, I wonder where that trait comes from?), so there is not enough room for all they have. Time to do some thinning out, some donating, and some trashing of broken toys!
This morning, as I was doing my Monday maintenance of the rooms, I went into the boys room and picked up the full hamper and looked around. Their floor was neat. Their closet was orderly. Only one sock under the bed. Amazing. So, as you can imagine, it got me thinking, as these things usually do.
I began to ponder how having a proper receptacle, in this case a hamper, enabled the boys to keep order in their room, and please their mother. Yes, they had to put some effort into it. They had to walk over to the hamper and put the clothes in, but there was a place to receive it, ready and waiting. Just like in our physical lives, our spiritual lives need to have a receptacle to receive spiritual things. We have to purposely create a place where the Spirit of the living God can deposit into us. A container where we can receive all that the Holy Spirit wants to fill us with. Sometimes we have no container at all. We have too many other things on our plate, sometimes even "churchy" things, that we have allowed to take up all the room, neglecting to designate a special place just for the things God wants to download into our lives. Other times, we have a receptacle, but we have allowed it to become filled with other junk, like the boys toy boxes where I found toys, clothes, school papers, movies, etc...so that when the real important things come our way there is no more room left. Sometimes our receptacle is there, empty, waiting to be filled, but because we haven't taken the proper care to maintain it, there are cracks and holes, and the things that God wants to pour into it, spill out and are wasted. I am entering a new place with the Lord. A place where I want to be in a position to receive and pour out, receive and pour out, where the Lord can use me to touch those around me. I want to have more of a kingdom vision, rather than the same old same old. So today, I am taking some time to get my receptacle in tip-top shape. I am getting into His word. I am praying. I am spending time in His presence, just Him and me. I am fine tuning my instruments, and sharpening my weapons. I am dusting out the cobwebs of religiosity and setting my vision on those things that are of eternal value. Luis and I are stepping out in faith more now than we have ever done before. And now, more than ever, we are acutely aware of how much we need to be ready vessels for the Spirit of God to pour into, transform, transcend barriers, and touch His creation that He loves so dearly. Make us ready Lord. Help us to do our part. Have your way in us.
This morning, as I was doing my Monday maintenance of the rooms, I went into the boys room and picked up the full hamper and looked around. Their floor was neat. Their closet was orderly. Only one sock under the bed. Amazing. So, as you can imagine, it got me thinking, as these things usually do.
I began to ponder how having a proper receptacle, in this case a hamper, enabled the boys to keep order in their room, and please their mother. Yes, they had to put some effort into it. They had to walk over to the hamper and put the clothes in, but there was a place to receive it, ready and waiting. Just like in our physical lives, our spiritual lives need to have a receptacle to receive spiritual things. We have to purposely create a place where the Spirit of the living God can deposit into us. A container where we can receive all that the Holy Spirit wants to fill us with. Sometimes we have no container at all. We have too many other things on our plate, sometimes even "churchy" things, that we have allowed to take up all the room, neglecting to designate a special place just for the things God wants to download into our lives. Other times, we have a receptacle, but we have allowed it to become filled with other junk, like the boys toy boxes where I found toys, clothes, school papers, movies, etc...so that when the real important things come our way there is no more room left. Sometimes our receptacle is there, empty, waiting to be filled, but because we haven't taken the proper care to maintain it, there are cracks and holes, and the things that God wants to pour into it, spill out and are wasted. I am entering a new place with the Lord. A place where I want to be in a position to receive and pour out, receive and pour out, where the Lord can use me to touch those around me. I want to have more of a kingdom vision, rather than the same old same old. So today, I am taking some time to get my receptacle in tip-top shape. I am getting into His word. I am praying. I am spending time in His presence, just Him and me. I am fine tuning my instruments, and sharpening my weapons. I am dusting out the cobwebs of religiosity and setting my vision on those things that are of eternal value. Luis and I are stepping out in faith more now than we have ever done before. And now, more than ever, we are acutely aware of how much we need to be ready vessels for the Spirit of God to pour into, transform, transcend barriers, and touch His creation that He loves so dearly. Make us ready Lord. Help us to do our part. Have your way in us.
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