We have all been in crowds at different times of our lives. Huge crowds that pushed in from all sides, small crowds that flowed easily, happy crowds, angry crowds, even sad crowds. In each circumstance where we were positioned in the crowd impacted how we were engaged and what our emotional reaction was to the circumstances surrounding us. Similarly, thanks to the wonders of technology we have witnessed the extreme spectrum of crowds lately. The violent riots in Greece that resulted in death and destruction everywhere are contrasted against the peaceful, joyful gathering on August 28th of this year in Washington DC at the Restoring Honor Rally. Remember back to a time when you were in the midst of a significant crowd and reflect on what you were feeling and doing at the time. Where were you standing physically and where were you standing emotionally?
Recently as I studied scripture, I was struck with the different words used to describe those that were following Jesus during His ministry on earth. Several different descriptors are used when crowds are mentioned. As I reflected on each of these I could see the parallel to our church today and our society. Luke 6: 12-13 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles. Then verse 17 When they came down the slopes of the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon.There are four different types of people in this gathering. First we have the twelve apostles which were a result of Jesus praying all night and hearing the voice of the Lord guiding Him in that selection. (Can you just imagine that conversation with the Trinity?) On the mountain top were disciples from which Jesus chose the twelve. There is no indication how many there were. We must assume that the number was at least greater than twelve. Once chosen, the apostles and disciples led by Jesus went down the mountain to greet those that were waiting for them. Now we see two distinct groups. There are Jesus' followers and then there are the crowds (Note this is plural).
In this circumstance there are four distinctions between the people that were surrounding Jesus that day. His newly appointed Apostles, His disciples, His followers and then the crowds. The intensity with which individuals were pursuing Jesus and His teachings were characterized by how close they were to the man Himself. Picture concentric circles. The more distant one was from the center of the circle, the more distant from the core beliefs that Jesus was teaching. When Jesus chose the apostles, He knew what they would experience for the rest of their lives. Simultaneously He knew what their commitment would be to the Great Commission once He had departed from the scene. He knew that it would be through their leadership that the multiplication effort of Christianity would be implemented. Similar to farming, Jesus also knew that seed requires fertile soil and consistent cultivation. Thus as He taught, he developed both through His disciples and through His followers. But then you have the crowds, that great sea of onlookers who are very curious but short on commitment and understanding. Out of the crowds some followers would develop, but also in those crowds were those whose intent was to destroy Jesus and His ministry.
In the church today (speaking of the entire Body of Christ) we still have these distinctions. It will vary from region to region from denomination to denomination, but the essential characteristics exist. Consider those believers that surround you in your life. Which ones would be identified as "apostles" and I am not referring to the anointed position of apostle, simply one that has surrendered totally to Christ and to pursuing the Great Commission at all costs? Which ones would be classified as disciples? How about followers? Finally which are part of the crowds? Each of these groups of individuals has a different impact on the nature of the "larger crowd" that is surrounding Jesus today. In visiting different churches, I have witnessed what the proportion of these inner groupings has on the general gathering itself. This is in essence a small segment of the greater Body itself. When the influence or size of one segment is more dominant than another, it sways the overall population in that direction. Again think of the mob mentality that pervaded the riots in Greece compared to the unity and peace that surrounded the Restoring Honor Rally. Whatever the core beliefs of the influential mass is the direction in which the crowd will be swayed.
Once again, let's consider the Body of Christ, but reflect on those early years of the new church after Jesus was resurrected. Without the aid of mass media, the gospels were spread throughout the land, to such an extent that by the fourth century, Constantinople was declaring it the official religion of the empire. The willingness of people to move from the outer ring of the "crowd" into the inner circles of followers, disciples and apostles directly impacted the growth of the church. The influence grew in an incredibly positive light in spite of persecution and direct attempts to sabotage this move of God.
We are living in similar circumstances today. The move to snuff out the Word of God and the positive influence that it will project on society is tangible. There has not been such a vehement objection and assault on God Himself in many centuries. Yet this is the age in which God has intentionally placed each of us. We have an assignment and we have a place in this "crowd". We have a uniquely empowered ability to move the gospel out from the inner circles to the outermost circle of the curious crowd even to the antagonistic crowd. First however we need to determine whether we have moved far enough into the center of the crowd to be fully empowered through Holy Spirit in order to move back through the crowd to make a difference.
So my challenge to each of us today is to truly seek where you are today in this crowd. From one end of the spectrum in which one is simply a passive observer to all that is taking place to the other end in which one is actively committed and engaged in advancing the gospel, each of us has a place. If we are in the fringes of the crowd, then it is time to make a decision to start working our way in. If we are in the center then it is time to start working our way out to the fringes to impact the spirit of this crowd for Christ. Today is not the time to stand still. The crowd is going to change ~ in one direction or another. The season for straddling the fence of belief is gone. There will be no more "gray" when it comes to our beliefs in the very near future. You will stand for Christ against all that will come at you, or you will fall to the wiles of this world ineffective in making a difference for the good of this world while we still have time. Your choice; your life; but someone else's eternity.......
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Seeing Ourselves in Others
A mirror is an instrument of evaluation to which we have all become accustomed. Do you have any clue as to how many times a day you glance into a mirror to check out your appearance. Hair straight? Shirt buttoned right? Any loose undergarments showing? How is the 5 o'clock shadow progressing? Is my lipstick still on? Plus a myriad of other reasons. Yes we use mirrors all the time to check on our physical appearance. Recently I have had a revelation in which God explained to me that I was using other people as my mirror. Perplexed? As the Lord continued to gently nudge me into this understanding, my own confusion began to clear. The clearer I understood His message, the more chagrined I became.
No matter who we are and no matter how far we have come in our walk with the Lord, we still have cracks in our armor, weaknesses in character and potential pitfalls in which we can somersault at any given moment. Much as I would like to say the opposite, I am beginning to see as I age (yikes!) that some faults seem to become more distinct than they used to be. What is up with that??? Perhaps it is because I am more aware of them and the impact they have on others. Whereas when I was younger, there was a lot more gray (and not my hair!) in my life. I don't believe that I possessed as deep a relationship with my Lord and consequently His Word was not rooted as deeply into my spirit. The result was that some behaviors and some language would creep into my life and slip by unnoticed - well relatively speaking.
Today I find a very uncomfortable emotion slipping into my brain - judgment. I find myself looking at others at times with critical eyes that I know are not of my Lord, certainly not walking in divine love as He did. When I catch myself in this act, I loathe what I have just thought and find myself thinking, "What has happened to me???" Through God's inimitable grace and love, He is beginning to open the eyes of my heart and show me. I am looking through a future mirror when I look at others in certain aspects and I feel as if that will be me. The aspects are not important. They are different for all of us. The root however is fear. I know better than to allow the spirit of fear to run my life, however this was not a recognizable fear. It is so subtle that it comes out as judgment and criticism.
What are the things that disturb you the most about other people? I am not going to presume to guess for you. If you will just sit still and listen to Holy Spirit speak to you, I believe that He will reveal to you what frightens you the most about yourself when you look at other people. Another person's downfall can just as easily be mine, except for God's mercy and grace in my life. I am as weak as my brother or sister because we all depend upon His strength to carry us through life.
Do you remember the comparison of the Pharisee and the tax collector? Luke 18:9-14 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." I have no doubt that each one of us when reading this is repulsed by the Pharisee's behavior. Yet when I dig deeply into some of my thought patterns, I question if I am any better than that Pharisee. What do we really mean in our hearts when we say in good "Southern speak", "Bless their little hearts"? When I first moved to Atlanta, I would say that with a genuine spirit, but I have to admit that 7 years in the true South has slanted the intonation of my voice, much to my chagrin.
The last thing that God has ever wanted from us was to compare ourselves to our fellow man. He is clear that there is only one standard - His. I know that I cannot match that standard. So consequently, have I lowered my standards and started comparing myself to others in a vain attempt to not feel so inadequate? The concept that we must grasp is that Jesus died so that we can enter into the presence of the Almighty, not because of what we have or have not done; not because we are good enough to be called His; and certainly not because we are better than someone else. We are equal in His eyes. We have to believe that He accepts us "as we are" striving to be more like Him in our every thought and deed.
I am entering a period of 40 days of prayer and fasting beginning midnight tonight. Although the Lord has been very clear that there are specific areas about which He desires for me to commune with Him, I also have a very clear sense that He is going to reveal much to me about going to the next level with Him. There is a lot of work for this gal to do to prepare my heart, body and spirit to be at that next level with Him. I am eager to empty myself of me and make more room for Him. There is only one reflection I want to see when I look in any mirror and that is His. It is a process. Eternity will provide the resolution, but until that time, I am going to continue in the process of burning off the dross and progressing to refined silver that will give Him His reflection when He gazes upon me. I hope you will do the same.
No matter who we are and no matter how far we have come in our walk with the Lord, we still have cracks in our armor, weaknesses in character and potential pitfalls in which we can somersault at any given moment. Much as I would like to say the opposite, I am beginning to see as I age (yikes!) that some faults seem to become more distinct than they used to be. What is up with that??? Perhaps it is because I am more aware of them and the impact they have on others. Whereas when I was younger, there was a lot more gray (and not my hair!) in my life. I don't believe that I possessed as deep a relationship with my Lord and consequently His Word was not rooted as deeply into my spirit. The result was that some behaviors and some language would creep into my life and slip by unnoticed - well relatively speaking.
Today I find a very uncomfortable emotion slipping into my brain - judgment. I find myself looking at others at times with critical eyes that I know are not of my Lord, certainly not walking in divine love as He did. When I catch myself in this act, I loathe what I have just thought and find myself thinking, "What has happened to me???" Through God's inimitable grace and love, He is beginning to open the eyes of my heart and show me. I am looking through a future mirror when I look at others in certain aspects and I feel as if that will be me. The aspects are not important. They are different for all of us. The root however is fear. I know better than to allow the spirit of fear to run my life, however this was not a recognizable fear. It is so subtle that it comes out as judgment and criticism.
What are the things that disturb you the most about other people? I am not going to presume to guess for you. If you will just sit still and listen to Holy Spirit speak to you, I believe that He will reveal to you what frightens you the most about yourself when you look at other people. Another person's downfall can just as easily be mine, except for God's mercy and grace in my life. I am as weak as my brother or sister because we all depend upon His strength to carry us through life.
Do you remember the comparison of the Pharisee and the tax collector? Luke 18:9-14 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." I have no doubt that each one of us when reading this is repulsed by the Pharisee's behavior. Yet when I dig deeply into some of my thought patterns, I question if I am any better than that Pharisee. What do we really mean in our hearts when we say in good "Southern speak", "Bless their little hearts"? When I first moved to Atlanta, I would say that with a genuine spirit, but I have to admit that 7 years in the true South has slanted the intonation of my voice, much to my chagrin.
The last thing that God has ever wanted from us was to compare ourselves to our fellow man. He is clear that there is only one standard - His. I know that I cannot match that standard. So consequently, have I lowered my standards and started comparing myself to others in a vain attempt to not feel so inadequate? The concept that we must grasp is that Jesus died so that we can enter into the presence of the Almighty, not because of what we have or have not done; not because we are good enough to be called His; and certainly not because we are better than someone else. We are equal in His eyes. We have to believe that He accepts us "as we are" striving to be more like Him in our every thought and deed.
I am entering a period of 40 days of prayer and fasting beginning midnight tonight. Although the Lord has been very clear that there are specific areas about which He desires for me to commune with Him, I also have a very clear sense that He is going to reveal much to me about going to the next level with Him. There is a lot of work for this gal to do to prepare my heart, body and spirit to be at that next level with Him. I am eager to empty myself of me and make more room for Him. There is only one reflection I want to see when I look in any mirror and that is His. It is a process. Eternity will provide the resolution, but until that time, I am going to continue in the process of burning off the dross and progressing to refined silver that will give Him His reflection when He gazes upon me. I hope you will do the same.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Trading One Kingdom for Another
This past weekend I was visiting with a wonderful friend who shared her story with me and in the process, she explained that her decision to become a believer was not simple. She knew instinctively that she was deciding on much more than a "ticket to heaven". She knew deep inside her spirit that this decision was about stepping away from one kingdom to embrace another. She knew that this was a life altering decision that could not be taken lightly. Consequently she searched for multiple months before making that commitment. Once the commitment was made, she knew there was no turning back. I was humbled by the profound wisdom in the few sentences she had spoken to me. I thought back to my own decision and even though I knew that the circumstances were very different, I still had to stop and think about the factors that brought me to my commitment and the events that transpired after that. I wonder how many of us at the moment of commitment truly embraced the simple truth my friend expressed. Did we understand that we were forever trading one kingdom for another?
Sadly there is a great myth in the church today that promotes the belief that once saved you are always saved and it doe not matter what you do or say or think after that initial decision. I have studied the Word many times looking for the truth about this very belief and I have come to the conclusion that this is a very gray area in which only the Lord knows someone's heart. I personally believe that there are actions I can take or fail to take that will jeopardize where and how I spend eternity. There are too many verses throughout scripture that talk about enduring to the end and not losing our way for me to believe that losing eternity is a possibility. I know that many people will disagree with me and that is fine. None of us will know the absolute truth until we are with the absolute God Almighty. For me the risk is too high to not continue to strive to walk in His will and not mine.
Let's consider the simple aspect of the two kingdoms that exist currently in this world. The kingdom of heaven exists within each of us who as accepted Jesus as our Savior and God will continue to work with us to do His will on earth the same as it is in heaven. His will on earth in us is the kingdom of heaven working within and through us. On the other hand we know who was banished from heaven and is playing havoc with those living on the earth. He has limited power - only that which is given to him by individuals. Jesus took the keys of authority from him after His crucifixion. Yet thousands, if not millions of people everyday turn over their personal individual power to him believing that he truly has that power. Sadly this just fuels his belief that he can win. The end is written; he loses. In the meantime though there is a significant segment of our population that is caught in his power struggles.
Jesus said in Revelation 3:15-16 "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth! It is impossible to sit on the fence when it comes to a commitment to the Lord. Either you are with Him or you or not. That classic phrase, you can't have your cake and eat it too would have fit very well right here. Luke 14:26 If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. What does it mean to love Him more than your own life? Isn't that what committing to follow Jesus means? What kind of sacrifices have been required of you since becoming a believer? What decisions have you had to make that clearly delineated to which kingdom you belonged? 1 John 2:15 Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you.
Once again, as I review my life events I cannot say with conviction that I was as knowledgeable about the distinction between the two kingdoms as my friend was. At times, I can openly say I was pretty confused. My emotions were a wreck, my life had become a wreck and I was definitely a wandering lamb. My dear heavenly father must have shook His loving head at me and wondered when would I ever get my act together. The amazing aspect of His love for me (and you) though is that He never gave up on me (and still doesn't). I made some pretty stupid decisions throughout my life- some before I accepted Him and some after. I was not trained in the Word nor in how to study the Word. Yet Holy Spirit still spoke truth into my life and guided me through the morass of my life. 1 Corinthians 2:6 Yet when I am among mature Christians, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world, and not the kind that appeals to the rulers of this world, who are being brought to nothing. At times, I thought I was speaking truth yet I now know that it was the distorted interpretation I had been fed. No matter who the instrument is speaking the distortions, the source is the enemy. The more confused he can keep us, the less likely we are to intimately know our Lord. If we don't know Him, how can we follow Him?
I want to live a life in which I make a deliberate choice each and every day to follow my Lord. I want to dive in deep past the murky waters of the kingdom of this earth and come to the fresh unpolluted depths of God's love for me. I have made a decision to trade the kingdom of the earth for the kingdom of heaven and not just so that I can walk through the gates of heaven. No I want so much more than to walk through the threshold and then stand there at the entrance for all of eternity. Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Transformation begins now and continues every day. Transformation brings heaven to earth, God's will to be done in my life. 1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. The victory is indeed the Lord's and we get to enjoy the victory of each daily battle when we stay focused on Him and His will for our lives.
So the choice is ours. Do we trade one kingdom for another - permanently? Or do we vacillate between the two ignorantly believing that will get us the results that we want? What are the results for which you are directing your life? Are you lukewarm or are you on fire pursuing Him and His will for your life passionately? I know my answer and I know that I cannot answer for anyone else. But the choice and the distinction is clear for me. I choose my Lord, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No matter how dismal this earthly life becomes, it is in appearances only. I know the joy that I have discovered in choosing Him and choosing His kingdom. Nothing can come close to what He has given to me, no earthly treasure can compare to His Shalom. Thank you, Lord!!! Thank you, Jesus, for making this choice possible for me!
Sadly there is a great myth in the church today that promotes the belief that once saved you are always saved and it doe not matter what you do or say or think after that initial decision. I have studied the Word many times looking for the truth about this very belief and I have come to the conclusion that this is a very gray area in which only the Lord knows someone's heart. I personally believe that there are actions I can take or fail to take that will jeopardize where and how I spend eternity. There are too many verses throughout scripture that talk about enduring to the end and not losing our way for me to believe that losing eternity is a possibility. I know that many people will disagree with me and that is fine. None of us will know the absolute truth until we are with the absolute God Almighty. For me the risk is too high to not continue to strive to walk in His will and not mine.
Let's consider the simple aspect of the two kingdoms that exist currently in this world. The kingdom of heaven exists within each of us who as accepted Jesus as our Savior and God will continue to work with us to do His will on earth the same as it is in heaven. His will on earth in us is the kingdom of heaven working within and through us. On the other hand we know who was banished from heaven and is playing havoc with those living on the earth. He has limited power - only that which is given to him by individuals. Jesus took the keys of authority from him after His crucifixion. Yet thousands, if not millions of people everyday turn over their personal individual power to him believing that he truly has that power. Sadly this just fuels his belief that he can win. The end is written; he loses. In the meantime though there is a significant segment of our population that is caught in his power struggles.
Jesus said in Revelation 3:15-16 "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth! It is impossible to sit on the fence when it comes to a commitment to the Lord. Either you are with Him or you or not. That classic phrase, you can't have your cake and eat it too would have fit very well right here. Luke 14:26 If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. What does it mean to love Him more than your own life? Isn't that what committing to follow Jesus means? What kind of sacrifices have been required of you since becoming a believer? What decisions have you had to make that clearly delineated to which kingdom you belonged? 1 John 2:15 Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you.
Once again, as I review my life events I cannot say with conviction that I was as knowledgeable about the distinction between the two kingdoms as my friend was. At times, I can openly say I was pretty confused. My emotions were a wreck, my life had become a wreck and I was definitely a wandering lamb. My dear heavenly father must have shook His loving head at me and wondered when would I ever get my act together. The amazing aspect of His love for me (and you) though is that He never gave up on me (and still doesn't). I made some pretty stupid decisions throughout my life- some before I accepted Him and some after. I was not trained in the Word nor in how to study the Word. Yet Holy Spirit still spoke truth into my life and guided me through the morass of my life. 1 Corinthians 2:6 Yet when I am among mature Christians, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world, and not the kind that appeals to the rulers of this world, who are being brought to nothing. At times, I thought I was speaking truth yet I now know that it was the distorted interpretation I had been fed. No matter who the instrument is speaking the distortions, the source is the enemy. The more confused he can keep us, the less likely we are to intimately know our Lord. If we don't know Him, how can we follow Him?
I want to live a life in which I make a deliberate choice each and every day to follow my Lord. I want to dive in deep past the murky waters of the kingdom of this earth and come to the fresh unpolluted depths of God's love for me. I have made a decision to trade the kingdom of the earth for the kingdom of heaven and not just so that I can walk through the gates of heaven. No I want so much more than to walk through the threshold and then stand there at the entrance for all of eternity. Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Transformation begins now and continues every day. Transformation brings heaven to earth, God's will to be done in my life. 1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. The victory is indeed the Lord's and we get to enjoy the victory of each daily battle when we stay focused on Him and His will for our lives.
So the choice is ours. Do we trade one kingdom for another - permanently? Or do we vacillate between the two ignorantly believing that will get us the results that we want? What are the results for which you are directing your life? Are you lukewarm or are you on fire pursuing Him and His will for your life passionately? I know my answer and I know that I cannot answer for anyone else. But the choice and the distinction is clear for me. I choose my Lord, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No matter how dismal this earthly life becomes, it is in appearances only. I know the joy that I have discovered in choosing Him and choosing His kingdom. Nothing can come close to what He has given to me, no earthly treasure can compare to His Shalom. Thank you, Lord!!! Thank you, Jesus, for making this choice possible for me!
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