If you read the post, "JapanTrip", this is part 2. We spent the 1st half of the week in Tokyo and the 2nd half of the week in Taipei.
Pete and Esther Hsu left Bluewater Mission for Taipei almost a year ago. Pete was offered a job there and Esther started teaching English as a 2nd language some time after they arrived. On the site, Esther has been starting a Sozo ministry. It has gone through a few different stages. Currently, Esther and Heather (the pastor's wife) lead Sozo sessions, as the need arises. Our mission in Taipei was to equip those around Esther and Pete with some Sozo training and help lay a foundation for inner healing in general. Because the training went for a day and a half, we were only able to do 3 ministry sessions outside of the teaching time. Still, this made for very full days on Friday and Saturday. Sunday we had time to attend church and then head for the airport, but little else.
Our time in Taipei was quite different than our time in Tokyo. We still started each day with a "power breakfast" at McDonalds. Those were times for us to get started on the same page and share (sometimes discover) what we felt God was saying to us individually. The first thing we noticed was that, spiritually, Taipei felt much lighter than Japan. The oppression was no where near as heavy.
This was the first time that I have taught with an interpreter. That was an experience! I hadn't realized how difficult it is to keep your train of thought when you are stopping every sentence or so for the translator. After the first hour or so, we seemed to get into a groove and it seemed easier to keep the flow. Thankfully, I had an interpreter who was familiar with Sozo and inner healing lingo. There were a few times when my choice of wording gave her cause to pause. I still chuckle when I think of the "sexual sin" teaching. She looked at me and said, "Sexual sin . . . . how can I translate that?" She said something in Chinese and then looked at me and said, "There, that sounds better." LOL I knew that I was breaking all kinds of cultural taboos with that part of the teaching! It needed to be done, though, and the class took it all in stride. Some of them even nodding as I talked about intimacy attachments.
We did not make it through all the slides I had prepared, but I think I left their brains (and hopefully spirits) quite full. We stopped often to do breakout groups and practice the things I was teaching. My heart soared as I saw them practicing their new skills on each other.
The first night that we were in Taipei, I had dreamed about unforgiveness, bitterness and division. After talking with Monika at one of our power breakfasts, I realized that God had been revealing that those were "familiar" spirits over the region. I felt the division pretty strongly and observed it manifesting in a variety of ways in just a few hours. With that in mind, we started off Saturday by circling up with Pete, Esther, Jeff (the pastor), Heather (his wife), and Hsin-yi (our interpreter). We made a symbolic show of unity before we did anything else. As we went out to greet our class for a 2nd day, I decided we needed to do something with them to make a prophetic show of unity - not just doing something together, but incorporating our entire self into something - mind, body, and spirit. I taught them sign language to a simple song and then I had them scream. I gave them an example of how to do a releasing yell and then had them do one with me. Esther later said that she had been surprised at my scream - she had never heard anything so loud come out of a human before. hehe I was surprised at how willingly the class participated. Maybe my loud yell had left them a bit fearful of what would happen if they did not obey! :-) Having physically released our stress and any other "stuff" we may have been carrying, we worshiped together. We did the sign language song first and then Pete led us in the rest of worship. It was beautiful.
Friday night, I gave an example of how to read into one's gift mix by looking at them and asking God. They got to practice that on one another on Saturday morning. Esther kicked off ministry time Saturday afternoon by giving a few prophetic words. She's still got it! Monika then stepped in and spoke over the crowd. We then prayed impartation and release.
I don't have as many personal ministry stories in Taipei because we spent most of our time ministering in a group setting instead of one on one. Our class had between 15-20 people in attendance. Some of them had to come and go because of work. They work a lot in Taipei.
Other fun notes about Taipei:
*Heather and I had a great conversation about dissociation and how it manifests.
*We spent Thursday night in a hotel as we needed some time to rest from Tokyo and prepare for the teaching time in Taipei. (I also needed to finish my reading so I could do my online test!) The hotel clerk informed us, as we checked in, that they were full and therefore "had to" give us a suite. Wow! It was huge and beautiful. It was doubly nice because neither one of us had the energy to actually leave the room. I took care of my homework and uploaded the first half of our pictures onto facebook. Monika spent a little time catching up with Bill and her family. Then we skipped dinner and both fell asleep between 6-7pm. We were tired!
*We had a little adventure as we took the train into Taipei (we had stayed in Taoyuen) and then took a cab to meet Esther at her friends apartment. We learned that we would be staying there while her friends went on a weekend outing. It was huge! Three bedrooms and two bathrooms. As we were talking about this later, I realized that our living arrangements reflected the work we had to do in each area. In Tokyo, our space was small and focused - so was our mission. In Taipei, our space was large and open. Our training there seemed much more open. We were giving people tools to use within themselves or in their ministry. It was less focused on one or two specific goals and more like putting what we had out there and letting people take what they wished. I am not sure how well that comparison communicates, but it makes a lot of sense in my head. :-)
*We did one personal ministry session after the Saturday afternoon training session. Then, around 7pm, we went out to dinner with Pete and Esther. They took us out to something called "hot pot." It was yummy. I was limited on my choice of broth because of the whole "no sea food" thing, but ended up with this tasty Mongolian spice broth. It would have been a fun experience all on its own, but when combined with the release of knowing our ministry time it created a night I will never forget. We laughed so hard during that dinner that Esther wondered if they had spiked my soup! There is a picture in my facebook album where you can see Esther, Monika and I laughing by the ice cream container. That stuff was frozen solid!! Monika suggested taking the huge container over to the table and hovering it over our hot pot. hehe
*Sunday morning was an adventure, in and of itself. Heather came to pick us up and take us to church. We loaded everything into the back and closed the hatch. We then heard, to our horror, the locks latch. The car was running and Heather's 4-year old daughter who has Down's Syndrome was locked in the car. We prayed as we tried to find a way to communicate to Amelia how to push the button to open the window. Before long, a neighbor called 1-1-9 (like 911 here) and we watched as an ambulance and fire truck pulled up. They were getting ready to break out the window when another neighbor came out with a phone number for a locksmith. All this time, I am standing next to the window reading books, singing Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle - doing anything I can think of to keep Amelia's attention so that she doesn't accidentally walk around and knock the car into gear. The locksmith showed up and tried to use a "slim jim" type of device, but it didn't work. So, he picked the lock. :-) We were so happy!! It seemed a miracle that I, pretty much a stranger, had been able to keep Amelia's attention. Also, the guy who pursued the locksmith talked to Monika and asked her if we were missionaries. He shared that he was a Christian. The entire neighborhood came out to see the commotion. I am not sure how God will use that incident, but I am sure He will.
After the drama, we made it to church (only a half hour late) and got to be a part of the 2nd half of worship. It was beautiful. Pete led. (I always love it when Pete leads worship!) As if the worship was not enough, we got to hear the testimony of one of the men who is leaving the church to spend some time in Canada. He had been at the Sozo training, but I hadn't had a chance to learn his story. I heard it Sunday morning - and it was powerful! I am impressed at how he is confident in following God through his pain and recovery process and how he is already dreaming with God for his return. At the end, the entire church gathered around him to pray over him and send him off. We got to hear testimony from one of the young kids who is living his life as kind of a missionary outreach in Taipei. He is a young evangelist! The entire service was like a family reunion with people sharing what God was doing and worshiping together. It was beautiful.
This week seems like a blur. It is hard to believe that in 7 days, Monika and I were in 3 countries, led 15 ministry sessions, 11 hours of teaching, numerous prayer walks, 21 hours in the air, 8 hours in airports, and met many people who grabbed ahold of our hearts. Whew! When do we get to do it again? :-)
Monday, August 08, 2011
Japan Trip - August 2011
Scott and Michica McDonald are friends of ours from Bluewater Mission. They moved to Japan in the beginning of 2011 to help care for Michica's elderly "Auntie." Little did they know that Auntie was only a piece of a much bigger puzzle. On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit with a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami. I remember Scott saying, "Now I finally feel like I see the real reason for us being here."
Almost 5 months later, Monika and I arrive in Tokyo and begin our adventure in Japan. The McDonald's have been working hard. They have a steady stream of visitors that they shuttle up to the disaster site to volunteer. They have seen lives changed: those of the workers and those of the volunteers. In a land that is said to be less than 2% Christian (some statistics say less than 1%), this family has found people literally flocking to their home for prayer and encouragement. On Monday evenings, they worship with a group of YWAM students. On Thursday evenings, they host a small group of local Christians in their home. This small group, as well as Scott and Michica themselves, was the focus of our visit.
When Scott and I first discussed a visit to Japan, we talked about offering support to relief workers and ministering to those who had been in the thick of recovery activity since the disaster. Instead, we did something much more valuable. We ministered to those who will be there long term. As we ministered to the ladies of this group (yep, Scott is the rooster in the hen house) we recognized the beautiful giftings that God had placed inside each one. One example of this is Lena, our interpreter. We could sense from the beginning that there was a hunger in her. She had such a sweet spirit and it came out in the way she interpreted and participated in the sessions. She interpreted a couple of sessions for us and then had a personal session. Michica had planned to interpret the last Japanese session herself, but Lena asked if she could translate, instead. She loved what was happening in the sessions and wanted more! That confirmed our suspicions. Lena would be part of leading a sozo type inner healing team. We met other intercessors, as well as those with gifts of teaching, pastoring, and deliverance. By the end of the trip, we were referring to the small group that meets at the McDonald's place as their "house church." We have had a few updates from Scott and Michica already and I can't wait to see what God is going to do with this bunch!
A few extra fun details about our trip.
* Our flight over took about 7.5 hours. JAL is a nice airline, but there is not much legroom compared to planes of the same size from America companies. Literally, my knees touched the seat in front of me. In spite of that, we had a good flight. I think I watched 3 movies on the way over to ensure that I stayed awake!
* We staying in a hotel our first night. We thought it might be better to wait until we had some sleep to greet people and step into ministry. We learned that people smoke everywhere in Tokyo. You could literally see the smoke hanging in the hallway of our hotel. Thankfully, our room wasn't as bad and we were able to get good rest. The next morning, we woke up early (thank you jet lag) and went for a walk. We found a cute little park and enjoyed playing around there for a while. Scott and Michica got lost trying to find our hotel. Since we had a little extra time, we decided to play a little prophetic game. We jotted down words for Scott and Michica. We also got words for an unidentified woman and man. I found it interesting that the words for the woman and man very specifically fit the people Scott and Michica had arranged for us to minister to later that day. That was fun! :-)
*Day 2 found us up early again. The night before, we had gone out to walk and found another park. This was a real blessing - especially in the midst of a city. We visited the park again (it became a place of intercession for us) and had breakfast at McDonalds (the restaurant, not the home of our hosts.) We began to see a pattern of what we referred to as "power breakfast." The first day, our conversation around breakfast had brought prophetic words. The second day, it brought about an interesting time of revelation. You could tell it was revelation by the way I randomly started crying as it came. It was something to do with Japan, Germany, WWII, and a principality. If you want to know more, you will have to ask me. It all still seems a little surreal. After our breakfast, we went back to the university and felt compelled to stop and pray over the campus. We didn't understand what that was all about until we talked to Michica. She informed us that her grandfather had been a devout Christian. He had taught at the university and interceded for its students. No wonder we could feel righteousness in the land. . .
*Day 3 started at McDonalds for another power breakfast. We did a couple more ministry sessions with members of the "house church" and then spent some time ministering to Scott and Michica directly. They had put out a lot of physical and spiritual energy over the past 7 months! We then talked about the promise we felt like God had given them and the beauty of what God had surrounded them with. We ended the evening with our first "Joy Circle" at the university. From what I understand, they have had regular Joy Circle's every day since then. Praise God!
*No allergies! I am extremely allergic to mold and mildew. Monika is also allergic. We were sleeping and ministering in a room that had a fair amount of both (I don't know that one can get away from it in Tokyo) and neither one of us had ANY allergic reaction. We were completely covered!
*I ate a Japanese peach! I don't like peaches - at least I didn't think that I did. I was looking for apples when I saw a fruit vendor. He only had peaches and he offered me a sample. I took it, not wanting to be rude. Wow! It was fabulous! I have never had a peach that tasted like that. Amazing.
Check out my facebook pictures if you want more info. A few of you will get emails regarding some of the more "spiritual" things that occurred. It is hard to believe that all of this happened in 3 days. Whew!
Almost 5 months later, Monika and I arrive in Tokyo and begin our adventure in Japan. The McDonald's have been working hard. They have a steady stream of visitors that they shuttle up to the disaster site to volunteer. They have seen lives changed: those of the workers and those of the volunteers. In a land that is said to be less than 2% Christian (some statistics say less than 1%), this family has found people literally flocking to their home for prayer and encouragement. On Monday evenings, they worship with a group of YWAM students. On Thursday evenings, they host a small group of local Christians in their home. This small group, as well as Scott and Michica themselves, was the focus of our visit.
When Scott and I first discussed a visit to Japan, we talked about offering support to relief workers and ministering to those who had been in the thick of recovery activity since the disaster. Instead, we did something much more valuable. We ministered to those who will be there long term. As we ministered to the ladies of this group (yep, Scott is the rooster in the hen house) we recognized the beautiful giftings that God had placed inside each one. One example of this is Lena, our interpreter. We could sense from the beginning that there was a hunger in her. She had such a sweet spirit and it came out in the way she interpreted and participated in the sessions. She interpreted a couple of sessions for us and then had a personal session. Michica had planned to interpret the last Japanese session herself, but Lena asked if she could translate, instead. She loved what was happening in the sessions and wanted more! That confirmed our suspicions. Lena would be part of leading a sozo type inner healing team. We met other intercessors, as well as those with gifts of teaching, pastoring, and deliverance. By the end of the trip, we were referring to the small group that meets at the McDonald's place as their "house church." We have had a few updates from Scott and Michica already and I can't wait to see what God is going to do with this bunch!
A few extra fun details about our trip.
* Our flight over took about 7.5 hours. JAL is a nice airline, but there is not much legroom compared to planes of the same size from America companies. Literally, my knees touched the seat in front of me. In spite of that, we had a good flight. I think I watched 3 movies on the way over to ensure that I stayed awake!
* We staying in a hotel our first night. We thought it might be better to wait until we had some sleep to greet people and step into ministry. We learned that people smoke everywhere in Tokyo. You could literally see the smoke hanging in the hallway of our hotel. Thankfully, our room wasn't as bad and we were able to get good rest. The next morning, we woke up early (thank you jet lag) and went for a walk. We found a cute little park and enjoyed playing around there for a while. Scott and Michica got lost trying to find our hotel. Since we had a little extra time, we decided to play a little prophetic game. We jotted down words for Scott and Michica. We also got words for an unidentified woman and man. I found it interesting that the words for the woman and man very specifically fit the people Scott and Michica had arranged for us to minister to later that day. That was fun! :-)
*Day 2 found us up early again. The night before, we had gone out to walk and found another park. This was a real blessing - especially in the midst of a city. We visited the park again (it became a place of intercession for us) and had breakfast at McDonalds (the restaurant, not the home of our hosts.) We began to see a pattern of what we referred to as "power breakfast." The first day, our conversation around breakfast had brought prophetic words. The second day, it brought about an interesting time of revelation. You could tell it was revelation by the way I randomly started crying as it came. It was something to do with Japan, Germany, WWII, and a principality. If you want to know more, you will have to ask me. It all still seems a little surreal. After our breakfast, we went back to the university and felt compelled to stop and pray over the campus. We didn't understand what that was all about until we talked to Michica. She informed us that her grandfather had been a devout Christian. He had taught at the university and interceded for its students. No wonder we could feel righteousness in the land. . .
*Day 3 started at McDonalds for another power breakfast. We did a couple more ministry sessions with members of the "house church" and then spent some time ministering to Scott and Michica directly. They had put out a lot of physical and spiritual energy over the past 7 months! We then talked about the promise we felt like God had given them and the beauty of what God had surrounded them with. We ended the evening with our first "Joy Circle" at the university. From what I understand, they have had regular Joy Circle's every day since then. Praise God!
*No allergies! I am extremely allergic to mold and mildew. Monika is also allergic. We were sleeping and ministering in a room that had a fair amount of both (I don't know that one can get away from it in Tokyo) and neither one of us had ANY allergic reaction. We were completely covered!
*I ate a Japanese peach! I don't like peaches - at least I didn't think that I did. I was looking for apples when I saw a fruit vendor. He only had peaches and he offered me a sample. I took it, not wanting to be rude. Wow! It was fabulous! I have never had a peach that tasted like that. Amazing.
Check out my facebook pictures if you want more info. A few of you will get emails regarding some of the more "spiritual" things that occurred. It is hard to believe that all of this happened in 3 days. Whew!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Safety First
In this article, I hope to pass on some of what I have learned in the healing world in the arena of creating safety. What is the first thing you are supposed to do when you come upon the scene of an accident or find a person injured? Check the scene for safety. If the environment is not safe you either call for help and let a professional deal with the situation or you break all kinds of rules in order to get the person to safety. Safety comes first.
This is also true in the arena of Inner Healing. When a person comes to you for help, the first thing you do is check to see if the environment is safe. Even after you have determined things to be "safe," it is your duty to periodically check in to make sure it stays that way.
How does one go about "checking the environment" when dealing with spiritual and emotional issues?
As you read through this article, which tools are you already using? Which areas could use a bit more practice? What is one tool or technique that you will work to incorporate into your meetings right away? While we may never reach perfection, we can strive toward safer, more trauma informed interactions every day.
This is also true in the arena of Inner Healing. When a person comes to you for help, the first thing you do is check to see if the environment is safe. Even after you have determined things to be "safe," it is your duty to periodically check in to make sure it stays that way.
How does one go about "checking the environment" when dealing with spiritual and emotional issues?
- Check the physical set up of the room you are using.
- How is the lighting?
- Is the temperature reasonable?
- Are there tissues nearby? (It is better for the person to start out near the tissues so they can choose to grab them instead of you later putting them in their hands or, worse yet, shoving them in their face.)
- Are phones set to silent or vibrate?
- Your voice can be loud enough to hear and still be gentle. Sometimes the person will actually feel more secure if they hear some authority in your voice. Watch how they respond as you speak and adjust accordingly.
- Body language and proximity tend to go together. Be aware if you are leaning in or kicking back. For some, leaning in gives the client a feeling of being listened to and cared for. For others, it makes them feel pressured and intimidated. One person may feel more at home if you kick back, while others may feel that you are not taking them seriously.
- Reading body language is largely about paying attention. Does the person look comfortable? I will discuss this a bit more later. Hint: If the client is stiff as a board or curled into a little ball, they are probably not feeling safe.
- This does not need to be a drawn out conversation. Give them five minutes of the session just to discover that you are human and not too scary.
- Use this time to observe how they speak and act when talking about things that are non-threatening to them. (Note that many are still nervous, especially if it is their first time meeting with you. They may not interact on a completely relaxed level, but it will still give you a decent baseline.) If they relax from that point on, you are fine. If you notice changes later and the person does not look relaxed, be aware that their level of anxiety may be increasing or their ability to be present may be decreasing. (It is also possible they are just getting tired or annoyed.)
- If you haven't already done it, purposely decide that you care. If you can care during the small talk, you will be able to care as issues arise.
- Ask for permission. In many ways, the fact that the person has come to you asking for help offers you a spiritual (and often emotional) authority. However, it honors the person when you ask for permission. i.e. "I would like to walk through forgiveness for your parents right now. Does that sound okay?"
- Give them freedom to not be dictated by your instructions. Often we expect people to close their eyes when we pray or when we ask them to visualize something. Not everyone is comfortable with this. I will often say something like, "If you are comfortable, go ahead and close your eyes and relax." If they do not close their eyes, it is fine. It is not unusual for someone who has experienced trauma to be uncomfortable closing their eyes, especially with someone they do not know. I also let people know from the very beginning that I am sometimes wrong and that I will not be offended if they disagree with something I say or do.
- Normalize! When you are in the session, nothing that is said should shock you - at least not in any way that would show on the outside. Everything about you should reflect acceptance. This includes your voice and facial expressions. And please try not to gasp.
- Do not yell at the person - even if your session turns toward spiritual deliverance. If you find yourself dealing with a demon, take authority and do what you need to do. But do it with honor. The person should come out of a deliverance time feeling special and loved, not dirty and shameful. What scares demons is how much you look like Jesus, not the volume of your voice.
- Body Language, Body Language, Body Language. Learn to read it. Tune in to the rhythm of your client's communication and notice when it changes. If the client has been talking freely and then there is silence, pay attention. It doesn't mean you have to fill the silence with your words, but notice it. Look for patterns. For example, a person rubs their forehead every time a sibling is mentioned. Make a note of it. Maybe they start to blink rapidly when you begin to talk about a parent or teacher. Pay attention.
As you read through this article, which tools are you already using? Which areas could use a bit more practice? What is one tool or technique that you will work to incorporate into your meetings right away? While we may never reach perfection, we can strive toward safer, more trauma informed interactions every day.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Kindness and Judgment
Hi, my name is Jeannie and I am a judge. I don't like to think of myself as judgmental, but I must confess that I am.
(Flashback) I happen to be an external processor, which means that sometimes I discover ideas as they fly out of my mouth. (As opposed to those who actually think things first!) I was talking with someone about the importance of forgiveness when I experienced one of those times. I said something to the effect of, "I think maybe the reason God is such a stickler about us having an unlimited supply of forgiveness for others is because it is only when we are truly able to forgive others that we really believe we, too, can be forgiven." I tell you this because I believe it relates to what God is teaching me about judgment.
We are told that we will be judged as we judge. Could it be that this is not just a command God has given, but a reality that He is revealing. Within myself, at the deepest parts, I feel that I am judged by God and others by the same standards I use to judge those around me. It is the root of much of my insecurity and self awareness. Is it possible that if I can fully release my right to judge and begin accepting people and circumstances as they are, I will find myself accepted or acceptable? Maybe this is not a curse of God, but a result of how our mind works.
Maybe, God knows the inner workings of a man (or woman) so well that He knew that if we could not forgive and release those around us, a part of us would cease to believe in His freely given forgiveness for us. That it is actually our own mind that imprisons us.
I don't think I am alone in my judgment. It is a wide spread disease. I don't know that any are automatically immune. Most likely we all have to fight to build up antibodies against it.
This morning, I reread the story of Hagar and Ishmael and I saw an amazing picture of God. God's people disobeyed. They created the problem surrounding Hagar and Ishmael. If that wasn't bad enough, God's people then labeled Hagar and Ishmael as no good and shunned them to the desert to die. (Sound familiar?) And then the part that brings tears to my eyes. God, Himself, purposefully goes after Hagar and Ishmael to encourage, provide, and protect them. God's people cast judgment. God casts kindness and mercy.
It is amazing to me how God managed to honor His relationship and covenant with Abraham and Sarah (His love for them never wavered) and chase down and honor Hagar and Ishmael. What an amazing God we have!
God, I surrender my right to judge. I want to be free to love those you have placed around me. I want to receive Your judgment, not my own. I lay down my pride. My tendency to think, "Well, it is okay for them to do that, but I am above that sort of display." I confess that those are words of pride and judgment and I hand them to You, God. Take my judgment and fill my heart with Your kindness.
(Flashback) I happen to be an external processor, which means that sometimes I discover ideas as they fly out of my mouth. (As opposed to those who actually think things first!) I was talking with someone about the importance of forgiveness when I experienced one of those times. I said something to the effect of, "I think maybe the reason God is such a stickler about us having an unlimited supply of forgiveness for others is because it is only when we are truly able to forgive others that we really believe we, too, can be forgiven." I tell you this because I believe it relates to what God is teaching me about judgment.
We are told that we will be judged as we judge. Could it be that this is not just a command God has given, but a reality that He is revealing. Within myself, at the deepest parts, I feel that I am judged by God and others by the same standards I use to judge those around me. It is the root of much of my insecurity and self awareness. Is it possible that if I can fully release my right to judge and begin accepting people and circumstances as they are, I will find myself accepted or acceptable? Maybe this is not a curse of God, but a result of how our mind works.
Maybe, God knows the inner workings of a man (or woman) so well that He knew that if we could not forgive and release those around us, a part of us would cease to believe in His freely given forgiveness for us. That it is actually our own mind that imprisons us.
I don't think I am alone in my judgment. It is a wide spread disease. I don't know that any are automatically immune. Most likely we all have to fight to build up antibodies against it.
This morning, I reread the story of Hagar and Ishmael and I saw an amazing picture of God. God's people disobeyed. They created the problem surrounding Hagar and Ishmael. If that wasn't bad enough, God's people then labeled Hagar and Ishmael as no good and shunned them to the desert to die. (Sound familiar?) And then the part that brings tears to my eyes. God, Himself, purposefully goes after Hagar and Ishmael to encourage, provide, and protect them. God's people cast judgment. God casts kindness and mercy.
It is amazing to me how God managed to honor His relationship and covenant with Abraham and Sarah (His love for them never wavered) and chase down and honor Hagar and Ishmael. What an amazing God we have!
God, I surrender my right to judge. I want to be free to love those you have placed around me. I want to receive Your judgment, not my own. I lay down my pride. My tendency to think, "Well, it is okay for them to do that, but I am above that sort of display." I confess that those are words of pride and judgment and I hand them to You, God. Take my judgment and fill my heart with Your kindness.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Discernment
"However, it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." I Corinthians 2:9-10
"So that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ." Philippians 1:10
Some of you know that I have been doing a Bible Study by Beth Moore entitled, "Living Beyond Yourself." There is so much richness here. There is much I could say after this session, but I will focus on "heightened discernment" at this time.
A look through the Bible will show you that the word "discernment" is used more often in a positive context than a negative one. This caught my attention. I was already invested in the teaching, but I suddenly realized that something was about to step on my toes. I was right. Beth went on to talk about how a critical spirit will often mask itself as discernment. How does one know the difference? Discernment is rooted in love. A critical spirit is rooted in pride and arrogance.
A couple of weeks ago, while I was swimming, God began speaking to me about something rather uncomfortable. He showed two different glimpses into my life.
The first was me at peace. It was during a season when my ability to see the giftings and potential in people was quite high. It was a nice picture.
The second was me nervous and discontent. In this scene I was seeing in others motives, etc. that were not good. I was building walls around myself.
Which was discernment? Both were rooted in a similar gifting or instinct. What made them different? Holy Spirit empowered discernment is rooted in love. Since perfect love casts out all fear, there was no need to worry. I was free to say, as Paul did, my life is worth nothing to me, because I know how valuable my life is to God. I know He handles me carefully and purposefully. (I may not always like how some things feel along my journey, but that doesn't make them bad.)
A critical spirit left out love. What good does it do anyone, including myself, if I can see the heart only to despise it? Does this help the person? Does it protect anyone else? Does it protect me? The only way a critical spirit can help is by building walls. It may seem helpful and protective at the time, but eventually I will come to see that I have succeeded only in building myself a prison.
Now, I rarely walk completely in HS led discernment or a critical spirit. In one day, both could make an appearance. However, I want to continually grow closer to being able to walk in HS led discernment. After all, without love I am only a resounding gong, right?
How do I move in the direction I want to go? I get into the Word and I ask for filling of the Holy Spirit. That could take me off on an entirely different bunny trail . . . .
"So that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ." Philippians 1:10
Some of you know that I have been doing a Bible Study by Beth Moore entitled, "Living Beyond Yourself." There is so much richness here. There is much I could say after this session, but I will focus on "heightened discernment" at this time.
A look through the Bible will show you that the word "discernment" is used more often in a positive context than a negative one. This caught my attention. I was already invested in the teaching, but I suddenly realized that something was about to step on my toes. I was right. Beth went on to talk about how a critical spirit will often mask itself as discernment. How does one know the difference? Discernment is rooted in love. A critical spirit is rooted in pride and arrogance.
A couple of weeks ago, while I was swimming, God began speaking to me about something rather uncomfortable. He showed two different glimpses into my life.
The first was me at peace. It was during a season when my ability to see the giftings and potential in people was quite high. It was a nice picture.
The second was me nervous and discontent. In this scene I was seeing in others motives, etc. that were not good. I was building walls around myself.
Which was discernment? Both were rooted in a similar gifting or instinct. What made them different? Holy Spirit empowered discernment is rooted in love. Since perfect love casts out all fear, there was no need to worry. I was free to say, as Paul did, my life is worth nothing to me, because I know how valuable my life is to God. I know He handles me carefully and purposefully. (I may not always like how some things feel along my journey, but that doesn't make them bad.)
A critical spirit left out love. What good does it do anyone, including myself, if I can see the heart only to despise it? Does this help the person? Does it protect anyone else? Does it protect me? The only way a critical spirit can help is by building walls. It may seem helpful and protective at the time, but eventually I will come to see that I have succeeded only in building myself a prison.
Now, I rarely walk completely in HS led discernment or a critical spirit. In one day, both could make an appearance. However, I want to continually grow closer to being able to walk in HS led discernment. After all, without love I am only a resounding gong, right?
How do I move in the direction I want to go? I get into the Word and I ask for filling of the Holy Spirit. That could take me off on an entirely different bunny trail . . . .
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Jesus
I read Colossians 1:13-17 this afternoon. I have read this passage many times. My head knew what was there. My heart did not. Things that awaken in our spirit are often inadequately described by words, so please try to read on with your spirit rather than your head.
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,in whom we have redemption,[a] the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
I knew Jesus spoke us into creation. But this passage was huge for me. Let me pause for a moment to tell you a short story.
The past 2 nights I have woken up to the bed shaking. It felt like a minor earthquake. Now, to the best of my knowledge we have not actually had any earthquakes recently - not even little ones.
Last night, I woke up to the shaking (I am using the term "woke" very loosely!) and thought, "Are we having an earthquake? Do I need to be ready to spring out of bed and rush to the doorway?" "Is my blood pressure doing crazy stuff?" Then, the thought occurred to me that some people have talked of spirits shaking their beds at night. This may sound arrogant, but my automatic response to that was, "What demon would be stupid enough to do that to me?!" (It is not that I never face attack, I often do. They just tend to be more subtle.)
Before I could follow that line of thought anywhere, I felt something (God, I would imagine) prompt me, "Don't follow that train of thought. It will feed fear and you don't have anything to be afraid of." ooookkaayy. "Just say 'Jesus.'"
Now, have you ever been in a state where your mind seems to be quite conscious, but your body is still very much asleep? That is where I was. It took an absurd amount of energy to turn my body over and force out the word, "Jesus." I had a song going through my head, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" I think. But there was no way my vocal chords were going to squeak out a melody.
I grunted the name of Jesus and almost immediately passed out again. (I was tired!)
You see, I have known for years that we come against evil "in the name of Jesus." I knew demons shuttered at the thought of Him. I knew that He was God. But, for some reason, I always thought of Him as the weaker part of the trinity. (I know, theologically it doesn't make sense, but emotionally that is how I saw Him.) He was kind, loving, etc. He is The Word. He spoke creation into being. He spoke ME into being. What I seemed to miss along the way is that He also spoke angels, demons, principalities, and powers, rulers and authorities "of this dark age" is the way Paul put it to the Ephesians.
Why do we use the name of Jesus when fighting on the spiritual realm? It is not just because Father God wants Him to receive honor. It is because HE CREATED THEM! The thought crossed my mind, "He spoke you into this world and He can speak you right back out." (Mother's often threaten that sort of thing, but Jesus could actually DO it.)
Jesus. So much more than I understood. So much more than I understand. Wow.
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,in whom we have redemption,[a] the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
I knew Jesus spoke us into creation. But this passage was huge for me. Let me pause for a moment to tell you a short story.
The past 2 nights I have woken up to the bed shaking. It felt like a minor earthquake. Now, to the best of my knowledge we have not actually had any earthquakes recently - not even little ones.
Last night, I woke up to the shaking (I am using the term "woke" very loosely!) and thought, "Are we having an earthquake? Do I need to be ready to spring out of bed and rush to the doorway?" "Is my blood pressure doing crazy stuff?" Then, the thought occurred to me that some people have talked of spirits shaking their beds at night. This may sound arrogant, but my automatic response to that was, "What demon would be stupid enough to do that to me?!" (It is not that I never face attack, I often do. They just tend to be more subtle.)
Before I could follow that line of thought anywhere, I felt something (God, I would imagine) prompt me, "Don't follow that train of thought. It will feed fear and you don't have anything to be afraid of." ooookkaayy. "Just say 'Jesus.'"
Now, have you ever been in a state where your mind seems to be quite conscious, but your body is still very much asleep? That is where I was. It took an absurd amount of energy to turn my body over and force out the word, "Jesus." I had a song going through my head, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" I think. But there was no way my vocal chords were going to squeak out a melody.
I grunted the name of Jesus and almost immediately passed out again. (I was tired!)
You see, I have known for years that we come against evil "in the name of Jesus." I knew demons shuttered at the thought of Him. I knew that He was God. But, for some reason, I always thought of Him as the weaker part of the trinity. (I know, theologically it doesn't make sense, but emotionally that is how I saw Him.) He was kind, loving, etc. He is The Word. He spoke creation into being. He spoke ME into being. What I seemed to miss along the way is that He also spoke angels, demons, principalities, and powers, rulers and authorities "of this dark age" is the way Paul put it to the Ephesians.
Why do we use the name of Jesus when fighting on the spiritual realm? It is not just because Father God wants Him to receive honor. It is because HE CREATED THEM! The thought crossed my mind, "He spoke you into this world and He can speak you right back out." (Mother's often threaten that sort of thing, but Jesus could actually DO it.)
Jesus. So much more than I understood. So much more than I understand. Wow.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Trembling, Rejoicing, and Kissing
I woke up this morning wondering what I wanted to do with the day. Most of my friends are at the Bill Johnson conference. I had decided not to go. I decided to head into Logos Bookstore where I found a used book section. I certainly could not pass up the opportunity to add to my library at $.25 and $.75 per book. (I did splurge and spent $2 on one of them.)
As I step into the much dreaded role of leadership, I have been thinking seriously about what I really believe. I grew up in one of the more strict holiness denominations. Lots of rules. Some poor people saw only the rules and no power. I was one of those blessed to see both. I am part of a non-denominational church plant where grace and activation are highlighted. Beyond that, now I am in the charismatic world at large, I also see a subculture of people who stress experience and emotion.
As a leader, which of these things do I water? What is okay to neglect and trust that God will take care of? When does one cross the line into micromanaging someone else's relationship and walk with God? These are just a few of the questions I have been asking myself.
One of the books I picked up today is entitled, "Passion for Jesus," by Mike Bickle. In one chapter, he goes through Psalm 2. Here are verses 10-12
"Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."
I could paraphrase what he says, but instead, I will just quote him,
"God is awesome in splendor and terrifying in His greatness. This royal One has no superior-no equal. When we get a glimpse of His eternal, majestic splendor and beauty we are filled with reverential fear. We tremble before Him."
"If we only feel fear and trembling in the Presence of God, we will never experience the fullness of His grace. David says we are to rejoice before Him as well. We are to exult and rejoice in the benefits of our inheritance."
He goes on to describe how the phrase "kiss the Son" speaks metaphorically of the special intimacy we are designed to have with God.
I like these three anchors. Trembling, Rejoicing, and Kissing. I get the feeling that it is not a balancing act. It is all - of everything. All of me trembling in awe before Him. All of me rejoicing in the benefits of my inheritance. All of me embracing the passion of my God.
Onward!
As I step into the much dreaded role of leadership, I have been thinking seriously about what I really believe. I grew up in one of the more strict holiness denominations. Lots of rules. Some poor people saw only the rules and no power. I was one of those blessed to see both. I am part of a non-denominational church plant where grace and activation are highlighted. Beyond that, now I am in the charismatic world at large, I also see a subculture of people who stress experience and emotion.
As a leader, which of these things do I water? What is okay to neglect and trust that God will take care of? When does one cross the line into micromanaging someone else's relationship and walk with God? These are just a few of the questions I have been asking myself.
One of the books I picked up today is entitled, "Passion for Jesus," by Mike Bickle. In one chapter, he goes through Psalm 2. Here are verses 10-12
"Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."
I could paraphrase what he says, but instead, I will just quote him,
"God is awesome in splendor and terrifying in His greatness. This royal One has no superior-no equal. When we get a glimpse of His eternal, majestic splendor and beauty we are filled with reverential fear. We tremble before Him."
"If we only feel fear and trembling in the Presence of God, we will never experience the fullness of His grace. David says we are to rejoice before Him as well. We are to exult and rejoice in the benefits of our inheritance."
He goes on to describe how the phrase "kiss the Son" speaks metaphorically of the special intimacy we are designed to have with God.
I like these three anchors. Trembling, Rejoicing, and Kissing. I get the feeling that it is not a balancing act. It is all - of everything. All of me trembling in awe before Him. All of me rejoicing in the benefits of my inheritance. All of me embracing the passion of my God.
Onward!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Avatar
This entry is being written to address the big question, "What did I think of Avatar?" Apparently the movie is controversial and considered by some to be dangerously New Age. I talked with a woman tonight was seemed somewhat afraid and offended by the movie, yet had not seen it. She wanted my opinion on whether or not it was "safe." Oh, my. While I don't consider Avatar a children's movie, it certainly did not offend me. Quite the opposite.
Now, it is important to note that I am the same person who, just a few days ago, mentioned feeling messages in the wind. To some, that is already a red flag. :-) It is possible that I am a bit more liberal in that area than some Christians. And that is my disclaimer for what I am about to say.
I loved the movie. Hmmm, how should I organize my thoughts? :-) I guess I will just list them as they come to me, so they are not in any specific order.
1) There was a point in the movie when my spirit was very sad. The male lead stepped out in faith and began to pray. The female lead came up behind him and sadly told him that it was pretty much a wasted effort because their deity existed only to keep the balance of nature. A part of me wanted to sign up to be a missionary to Pandora right then. To tell them that the God of the universe was interested in so much more than the balance of nature. I kept thinking, "They are so close . . . ."
Then, some time later in the movie, God shows up. The female lead is stunned. And my spirit shouted, "Now THAT is my God!" He is a God who fights for and with His people, who turns the impossible into the possible, who has a personal interest and investment in His people. And, while the people did not yet understand that about their deity - and the director may or may not have understood it either - the true character of God showed up.
2) SPOILER ALERT
When the main male character is praying, he tells the deity that earth destroyed its mother - implying that each planet had its own deity. What he did not realize was that he had already been proven wrong. Just before one of the humans died, she opened her eyes and said, "I am with her. She is real." And then died. This sounds like the God of the universe, not of a planet. This deity had no dilemma regarding the woman being alien to their planet.
I imagine part of the New Age fuss is that their deity is referred to as "she" and "mother." I can see how this could ruffle some feathers. I, personally, do not take offense with this because, while we have been taught to refer to God as "Father", I doubt He is limited by gender. My guess is that He is the perfect embodiment of both genders. I do understand the argument regarding the many "goddess" based false religions that have been around for centuries.
One of the things I find to be interesting is that it is very possible that the creators of this film intended for it to be New Age-y and "goddess" based. But, if it was, I think they missed. You see, in another setting, I probably would have been uncomfortable with this aspect of the movie. But the God I know kept showing up. I could ramble about that for a while . . . :-)
3) Especially as Americans, I think we chose to ignore some aspects about the way the church is described in Acts. I believe there is power in unity and submission. I think this is demonstrated in the movie in some interesting ways.
4) I like that the "real marine" was the good guy. :-)
5) I like the whole concept of "I see you." But then, I would. . . .
6) I enjoyed the liberation theme. Made me think of our Social Justice Ministry and the traffickers. They may believe that money and violence run the modern world, but there is Something much bigger!
7) I love that the tide is turned because of one man's prayer.
8) I like that a broken "alien" is who God chooses to assign as the ambassador of liberty. Again, that sounds like my God.
I left the movie reminded of what an amazing God I serve and found myself humming worship songs as I made my way to the car. My humble opinion - Avatar is a great movie to foster intriguing discussion.
Now, it is important to note that I am the same person who, just a few days ago, mentioned feeling messages in the wind. To some, that is already a red flag. :-) It is possible that I am a bit more liberal in that area than some Christians. And that is my disclaimer for what I am about to say.
I loved the movie. Hmmm, how should I organize my thoughts? :-) I guess I will just list them as they come to me, so they are not in any specific order.
1) There was a point in the movie when my spirit was very sad. The male lead stepped out in faith and began to pray. The female lead came up behind him and sadly told him that it was pretty much a wasted effort because their deity existed only to keep the balance of nature. A part of me wanted to sign up to be a missionary to Pandora right then. To tell them that the God of the universe was interested in so much more than the balance of nature. I kept thinking, "They are so close . . . ."
Then, some time later in the movie, God shows up. The female lead is stunned. And my spirit shouted, "Now THAT is my God!" He is a God who fights for and with His people, who turns the impossible into the possible, who has a personal interest and investment in His people. And, while the people did not yet understand that about their deity - and the director may or may not have understood it either - the true character of God showed up.
2) SPOILER ALERT
When the main male character is praying, he tells the deity that earth destroyed its mother - implying that each planet had its own deity. What he did not realize was that he had already been proven wrong. Just before one of the humans died, she opened her eyes and said, "I am with her. She is real." And then died. This sounds like the God of the universe, not of a planet. This deity had no dilemma regarding the woman being alien to their planet.
I imagine part of the New Age fuss is that their deity is referred to as "she" and "mother." I can see how this could ruffle some feathers. I, personally, do not take offense with this because, while we have been taught to refer to God as "Father", I doubt He is limited by gender. My guess is that He is the perfect embodiment of both genders. I do understand the argument regarding the many "goddess" based false religions that have been around for centuries.
One of the things I find to be interesting is that it is very possible that the creators of this film intended for it to be New Age-y and "goddess" based. But, if it was, I think they missed. You see, in another setting, I probably would have been uncomfortable with this aspect of the movie. But the God I know kept showing up. I could ramble about that for a while . . . :-)
3) Especially as Americans, I think we chose to ignore some aspects about the way the church is described in Acts. I believe there is power in unity and submission. I think this is demonstrated in the movie in some interesting ways.
4) I like that the "real marine" was the good guy. :-)
5) I like the whole concept of "I see you." But then, I would. . . .
6) I enjoyed the liberation theme. Made me think of our Social Justice Ministry and the traffickers. They may believe that money and violence run the modern world, but there is Something much bigger!
7) I love that the tide is turned because of one man's prayer.
8) I like that a broken "alien" is who God chooses to assign as the ambassador of liberty. Again, that sounds like my God.
I left the movie reminded of what an amazing God I serve and found myself humming worship songs as I made my way to the car. My humble opinion - Avatar is a great movie to foster intriguing discussion.
Friday, December 18, 2009
2009 Christmas Card
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Monday, December 07, 2009
God as Laughter?
A few of us got together last night to hang out, worship, and pray. (By the way, thanks Pete and Tiffany for leading us.) It was a nice relaxed night. At one point, we put in Keiger's iPod and played, "Start a Fire," and "What Do I Know of Holy?"
I put my head back and began to chat with God. I was listening to the lyrics,
"What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?"
And I felt God say, "I am laughter."
I was taken aback for a moment. "Is it okay to speak of God as laughter? I don't think that is scriptural." "Laughter doesn't go with Holy!"
Then I began to hear the laughter. (It was more like the memory of the sound of laughter.) Now, there are all kinds of laughter. The giggle of those being silly. The dark laughter of those doing things they ought not. The knowing laughter of those joking around. This was none of those. It was a laughter that rang of freedom. There was no worry or stress in this sound. Somehow it seemed to carry love and goodwill.
The more I began to listen to the laughter, the more it seemed to fit God. It was the free chuckle of one who knows everything in the world and yet has joy. Joy. Yes, that is the best word to describe the laughter. Joy.
It reminds me of a sermon Jordan gave not too long ago, during the Nehemiah series. He mentioned that we so often misinterpret the phrase, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." We think that it is our joy in the the Lord that makes us strong. He presented the idea that it is indeed understanding that the Lord finds joy in us that gives us strength. It is not our joy, but rather "the joy of the Lord."
God as Laughter. Hhmmm . . . .
I put my head back and began to chat with God. I was listening to the lyrics,
"What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?"
And I felt God say, "I am laughter."
I was taken aback for a moment. "Is it okay to speak of God as laughter? I don't think that is scriptural." "Laughter doesn't go with Holy!"
Then I began to hear the laughter. (It was more like the memory of the sound of laughter.) Now, there are all kinds of laughter. The giggle of those being silly. The dark laughter of those doing things they ought not. The knowing laughter of those joking around. This was none of those. It was a laughter that rang of freedom. There was no worry or stress in this sound. Somehow it seemed to carry love and goodwill.
The more I began to listen to the laughter, the more it seemed to fit God. It was the free chuckle of one who knows everything in the world and yet has joy. Joy. Yes, that is the best word to describe the laughter. Joy.
It reminds me of a sermon Jordan gave not too long ago, during the Nehemiah series. He mentioned that we so often misinterpret the phrase, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." We think that it is our joy in the the Lord that makes us strong. He presented the idea that it is indeed understanding that the Lord finds joy in us that gives us strength. It is not our joy, but rather "the joy of the Lord."
God as Laughter. Hhmmm . . . .
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Pain Cloaked in Praise and Remembrance
I was reading through the Psalms this morning. I know the basic pattern of the Psalms, cry out and then worship, but it hit me differently this morning. Crying out gives validity to the pain - no pretending it isn't there or that it doesn't hurt. The Psalmist takes his brokenness to the only one who can see the situation from the perspective of eternity. Then, he reminds himself of the faithfulness and largeness of God and finds strength.
People all around me that I love have been hit with crisis - some small, some large - recently and my heart breaks for them. Psalm 77 caught my attention this morning. Every once in a while, I pray the Psalms. So I will pray it as I type it out and add my own words in parenthesis. Forgive me if some of them seem sassy. God understands me. Here goes . . .
I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens. (At times, so do my neighbors!)
I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal.
When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I didn't believe a word they said.
I remember God - and shake my head. I bow my head - then wring my hands. (I confess my wavering between faith and fear.)
I am awake all night - not a wind of sleep; I can't even say what is bothering me. (I rarely know what the real problem is.)
I go over the days one by one, I ponder the years gone by.
I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together.
Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stalked off and left us?
"Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him."
Once again, I'll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts.
Oh God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do - You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph. (I have seen you heal the sick and comfort the troubled. You have provided for me in abundance many times over.)
Ocean saw you in action, God, saw you and trembled with fear; Deep Ocean was scared to death. Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded with thunder, your arrows flashing this way and that. (You have the power to calm the storm and stop the rain. I have witnessed you breath a soft breeze into the air when I was hot and miserable and pause the wind when I needed to catch my breath.)
From Whirlwind came your thundering voice, Lightning exposed the world, Earth reeled and rocked. You strode right through Ocean, walked straight through roaring Ocean, but nobody saw you come or go. (Your power is so much bigger than I understand, your scope of understanding so far beyond my own.)
Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron, You led your people like a flock of sheep. (Thank you for providing me with shepherds who pray for me and support me. Thank you for being my ultimate shepherd.)
People all around me that I love have been hit with crisis - some small, some large - recently and my heart breaks for them. Psalm 77 caught my attention this morning. Every once in a while, I pray the Psalms. So I will pray it as I type it out and add my own words in parenthesis. Forgive me if some of them seem sassy. God understands me. Here goes . . .
I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens. (At times, so do my neighbors!)
I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal.
When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I didn't believe a word they said.
I remember God - and shake my head. I bow my head - then wring my hands. (I confess my wavering between faith and fear.)
I am awake all night - not a wind of sleep; I can't even say what is bothering me. (I rarely know what the real problem is.)
I go over the days one by one, I ponder the years gone by.
I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together.
Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stalked off and left us?
"Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him."
Once again, I'll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts.
Oh God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do - You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph. (I have seen you heal the sick and comfort the troubled. You have provided for me in abundance many times over.)
Ocean saw you in action, God, saw you and trembled with fear; Deep Ocean was scared to death. Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded with thunder, your arrows flashing this way and that. (You have the power to calm the storm and stop the rain. I have witnessed you breath a soft breeze into the air when I was hot and miserable and pause the wind when I needed to catch my breath.)
From Whirlwind came your thundering voice, Lightning exposed the world, Earth reeled and rocked. You strode right through Ocean, walked straight through roaring Ocean, but nobody saw you come or go. (Your power is so much bigger than I understand, your scope of understanding so far beyond my own.)
Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron, You led your people like a flock of sheep. (Thank you for providing me with shepherds who pray for me and support me. Thank you for being my ultimate shepherd.)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Jeremiah 29:11 - Too Often Misused
I went to the Hawaiian Islands Ministry Conference tonight. As any good, anticipatory student, I went online to preview the classes being offered and tentatively set my schedule for the weekend. Then, I arrived at the conference, chucked my previous workshop selections and chose one that had not even crossed my radar before that moment. This blog is in response to that seminar. However, I was dealing with God during most of it, so don't expect this to be notes from the speaker. He triggered a conversation between God and I, and that conversation is the topic of this blog.
The basic question addressed in the workshop surrounded the hope offered in Jeremiah 29:11. It is a scripture quoted often to those feeling down, discouraged, in despair, or any other number of "d" words. We try to encourage one another with the words, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and bring you a hope" yada yada yada.
Now, please don't get me wrong. I love God's word and this is a great verse, but I don't think it was intended to be used to explain why things should go right for us in the world. There are a couple of problems with that use of this particular promise.
1) This was not addressed to an individual. The promise was given to a nation of people. From the little we know about Jewish history from that time (and even hints given later in the text), we can conclude that there were individuals among those who received this promise who did not live to see this promise fulfilled for them. They did not return from Exile. They did not prosper. The nation, however, did return from Exile. Did they prosper? I suppose it depends on how you look at it?
2) This promise is proceeded by God telling the nation that they would be in captivity 70 years. Hhhmmmm. That doesn't sound like a promise offered for tomorrow - or immediate relief.
If you know me well, you have probably heard me mention before that the one thing that sticks out to me about Southern Gospel music is their focus on Heaven. This life is what it is. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad, sometimes we just feel like we are walking around in a cloud, not knowing if things are good or bad. But we know Who and what wait for us. We know that, one day, "It Will Be Worth It All."
It was good to be reminded to look at life from an eternal perspective. And to be reminded that I am part of a plan much bigger than myself. That somehow, God has figured out the balance between using me to further His plan and not allowing anything to push me past what I can handle. (Corinthians)
I have trouble with the theology that because God is good, He will only cause good things to happen. I think, ultimately, that is a true statement. The problem is that we don't always recognize "good." God, seeing the entire picture, is the only one who can truly diagnose "good."
A couple other thoughts came to mind as I was listening.
1) If God has a purpose for me, I want to be here to fulfill it. I say this with much fear and trepidation because I don't really want to be tortured to death or captured and beaten within an inch of my life. But I do want to be a piece of God's plan. I think of David and shudder with new understanding of the words, "I will not offer anything that cost me nothing." I am an American. Not only do I not like suffering, I am personally offended by it. Yet Christians all over the world endure it in a variety of forms.
2) I think Joshua 1:9 provides a promise I can more readily apply to troubled times. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the LORD, your God, is with you where ever you go." (Loose translation.)
3) God is with me. He has a plan. His plan is big and someday I am going to get to see what my role was in said plan. For now, my job is to trust. I will ask for good things, because my Father is good. But I will do my best not to assume that I always know what is good.
4) God, the master at oxymorons, somehow manages to communicate, "It's not all about you!" with a healthy dose of "I have numbered all the hairs on your head," kind of intimacy mixed in.
I don't really have a conclusion, so feel free to write one of your own, as you comment. :-)
The basic question addressed in the workshop surrounded the hope offered in Jeremiah 29:11. It is a scripture quoted often to those feeling down, discouraged, in despair, or any other number of "d" words. We try to encourage one another with the words, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and bring you a hope" yada yada yada.
Now, please don't get me wrong. I love God's word and this is a great verse, but I don't think it was intended to be used to explain why things should go right for us in the world. There are a couple of problems with that use of this particular promise.
1) This was not addressed to an individual. The promise was given to a nation of people. From the little we know about Jewish history from that time (and even hints given later in the text), we can conclude that there were individuals among those who received this promise who did not live to see this promise fulfilled for them. They did not return from Exile. They did not prosper. The nation, however, did return from Exile. Did they prosper? I suppose it depends on how you look at it?
2) This promise is proceeded by God telling the nation that they would be in captivity 70 years. Hhhmmmm. That doesn't sound like a promise offered for tomorrow - or immediate relief.
If you know me well, you have probably heard me mention before that the one thing that sticks out to me about Southern Gospel music is their focus on Heaven. This life is what it is. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad, sometimes we just feel like we are walking around in a cloud, not knowing if things are good or bad. But we know Who and what wait for us. We know that, one day, "It Will Be Worth It All."
It was good to be reminded to look at life from an eternal perspective. And to be reminded that I am part of a plan much bigger than myself. That somehow, God has figured out the balance between using me to further His plan and not allowing anything to push me past what I can handle. (Corinthians)
I have trouble with the theology that because God is good, He will only cause good things to happen. I think, ultimately, that is a true statement. The problem is that we don't always recognize "good." God, seeing the entire picture, is the only one who can truly diagnose "good."
A couple other thoughts came to mind as I was listening.
1) If God has a purpose for me, I want to be here to fulfill it. I say this with much fear and trepidation because I don't really want to be tortured to death or captured and beaten within an inch of my life. But I do want to be a piece of God's plan. I think of David and shudder with new understanding of the words, "I will not offer anything that cost me nothing." I am an American. Not only do I not like suffering, I am personally offended by it. Yet Christians all over the world endure it in a variety of forms.
2) I think Joshua 1:9 provides a promise I can more readily apply to troubled times. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the LORD, your God, is with you where ever you go." (Loose translation.)
3) God is with me. He has a plan. His plan is big and someday I am going to get to see what my role was in said plan. For now, my job is to trust. I will ask for good things, because my Father is good. But I will do my best not to assume that I always know what is good.
4) God, the master at oxymorons, somehow manages to communicate, "It's not all about you!" with a healthy dose of "I have numbered all the hairs on your head," kind of intimacy mixed in.
I don't really have a conclusion, so feel free to write one of your own, as you comment. :-)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Notes from Danny Silk, Feb. 14, 2009
These notes came from the Culture of Honor Seminar. I am tired, but want to get them out before the moment passes. I will come back and edit later if they do not make sense. :-)
Danny's job at Bethel is to create a "fireplace" for the fire carriers he works with on a daily basis. Fire is a great thing, but we don't want "fire on the sofa," so to speak.
A culture of honor allows us to be uniquely different and uniquely powerful. Freedom is not for everyone to be the same.
To be free is to be able to put the best you have on display.
Definitions of honor:
1) To glory in, or promote. Honor does not happen among strangers, it happens among those who are closest to you, who have disappointed you, hurt you. We are told a blessing comes with honoring our parents. Who do we know better? And who has had the opportunity to disappoint and hurt us the most? Honoring our parents and previous generations is a way to pull out the good inheritance. Find the glory that was in them, whether they used it well or not, and claim that as your inheritance. We have 2 choices of how to gain inheritance. We can gain it through honor or through resentment; unforgiveness or glory.
2) To elevate the status of another. Ex. Jonathan giving his royal regalia to David, a lowly shepherd. Jesus has also given us royal regalia. We are co-heirs with Christ. Question for thought. Some ask why God allows poverty, suffering, injustice, etc. A better question might be, . . . "If we are empowered to be greater than Christ on this earth, why do we allow these things to happen?"
3) To give prestige to somebody. Prestige = Access to resources. ex. Billionaire friend. This partner creates resources and opportunities you would never have on your own. When we are honoring someone, we are offering them resources and opportunities they would not have access to without us. (By the same token, when God honors us, we receive His prestige.) Side note: Don't try to make your pastor the king, attempting to draw people into your kingdom. Instead, take your prestige to everyone on the island.
4) Great respect and admiration. This is typically given to those we agree with or whom we are like. We have more difficulty offering respect and admiration to those different from us or who do not agree with us.
Admiration = wonder - finding the best about you. Honor manifests when we disagree, not when we are getting along.
THE HEART OF HONOR IS EMPOWERMENT. Nothing about you determines if I will honor you or not. I honor you because I am an honoring person. When someone disagrees with me, can I honor them still? Honor ALL people. Can I do that? or can I only honor those who agree with me? We think we have the right to judge/dishonor those we disagree with or who do not follow what we believe to be God's will.
Do I really need to honor/empower everyone?? What about children?? women??? sinners???? What if they are knowingly sinning?! Yes, we are called to honor/empower all, regardless.
Empowering does not = ignoring. It requires action.
What makes me more powerful than you? Typically people say things like Violence = Power or Anger = Power. We say, "I will introduce suffering into your life if you do not give me what I want. I am willing to hurt you to get my way." We believe and feed others the lie, "Other people have power over you." We teach this lie to our children.
We teach that LOVE is a Mac Daddy yellow truck crushing a little red truck when the yellow truck does not get it's way. Then we teach people that God is love. God becomes the ultimate Mac Daddy yellow truck, ready to crush us at a moment's notice. We get this picture of an angry God who can only control his temper by looking at a picture of Jesus and reminding Himself, "No, can't completely destroy them because of my son . . ."
Question: If God is punishing us for our sin, why are we still alive? Shouldn't we all be LONG gone by now? Consequences are not God punishing us. I John 4:18
If we remove the threat of punishment from our community, why will people behave? What will motivate them? How will we control them?
We need everybody powerful AND we need to have the keys to confronting people. We need to learn to confront in ways that will not trigger people's defenses. We need people to be powerful because you can not confront powerless people and have a good result - and we need to be able to confront one another.
"We don't confront prisoners, we try to calm them down." Paul Manwarring 2008. You can't confront a prisoner with good results.
We are afraid of conflict. We must learn to confront one another. How can we walk alongside you and fix this? How much trust is there in this relationship.
KINGDOM CONFRONTATION
In Kingdom confrontation, you must have 3 things, Trust, Self-Control, and Good Questions. Strength or relationship sets the tone for this to be able to happen. (Visual Aid of a tissue being ripped easily and a rope holding firm.)
Truth cultivates trust.
I can control myself on a good day. I can never control you.
Learn to ask good questions, not just throw scripture at people and judge them. (Story of man on staff who was like a torch running through a hayfield. He had to help train the man to think, plan, and pay attention to the things that did not come naturally, but not in a dictatorial fashion. Powerful guy meets powerful guy.)
Ex. Abraham and God bargaining over the destruction of Sodom. If God is confrontable, who is not?
Heaven trusts us amazingly.
Psalm 32:8 You will see my heart through my eyes.
Psalm 32:9 Don't live to need a cop.
Powerless people need rules, not freedom. Powerful people demand freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 in The Message.
Video clip of Stacy at the Quarter Horse Championship. (She coaxed her horse to do things no one else could get a horse to do, using only her voice and a gentle touch. Riding bareback with no bit in the horses mouth, no reigns, just her voice and gentle touch.)
How are Covenant and Honor Connected?
Covenant Purpose - Galatians 2:20
Side Note: Jesus did not help everyone while he was here. There were towns he simply passed through. In fact, he was going to pass by the disciples the night he was walking on water, (and they were struggling with their oars!)but they stopped him.
THE NATURE OF COVENANT
A binding agreement requiring death.
****Genesis 15 - God and Abram
****Old Testament sacrifices on the altar.
****Baptism and Resurrection.
Walking through death together implies, "May the same fate fall upon us if we break the covenant." There is no real covenant until there is death. John 12:23-24 I Corinthians 15:36-38
You do not determine the outcome of the other person in the covenant relationship. "I will add strength to your life, but I can not control what you do with it."
Hebrews 9:17
You don't really see the covenant until you see a corpse. When you might embarrass me and I walk away, I fail the test of covenant.
A relationship becomes a covenant when I convince those around me that I will die to protect the relationship. I am willing to put my name on you and your failure. I BELIEVE THAT YOUR FAILURE WILL BE EXTINGUISHED BY THE GREATNESS IN YOU THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE REVEALED.
When I am truly in covenant with you, you will feel my strength being poured into you.
Redwood roots only go six feet under. There strength comes from the fact that the roots of the entire grove intertwine and grow together. The have "lateral roots."
"I will find a way through these obstacles with you." I am now facing situations that are created by someone else's life that I can not control.
KNOWING PEOPLE OF COVENANT HELPS MAKE COVENANT POSSIBLE
Being people of covenant makes it contagious. It is a willingness to believe in you through your mistakes and failures. "I will confront you until your nose falls off, but I will never stop believing in you."
Ex: Farmer with prize winning corn was asked how he manages to win every single year. He answered that he takes his prize winning corn and hands out it's seed to all of the neighboring farmers. This ensures that the pollen surrounding next year's crop is as good as it can possibly be.
Who are the people you are currently surrounding yourself with?
Galatians 2:20
Again, I don't control you with my seed.
Good stuff! I can't wait for tomorrow night!
Danny's job at Bethel is to create a "fireplace" for the fire carriers he works with on a daily basis. Fire is a great thing, but we don't want "fire on the sofa," so to speak.
A culture of honor allows us to be uniquely different and uniquely powerful. Freedom is not for everyone to be the same.
To be free is to be able to put the best you have on display.
Definitions of honor:
1) To glory in, or promote. Honor does not happen among strangers, it happens among those who are closest to you, who have disappointed you, hurt you. We are told a blessing comes with honoring our parents. Who do we know better? And who has had the opportunity to disappoint and hurt us the most? Honoring our parents and previous generations is a way to pull out the good inheritance. Find the glory that was in them, whether they used it well or not, and claim that as your inheritance. We have 2 choices of how to gain inheritance. We can gain it through honor or through resentment; unforgiveness or glory.
2) To elevate the status of another. Ex. Jonathan giving his royal regalia to David, a lowly shepherd. Jesus has also given us royal regalia. We are co-heirs with Christ. Question for thought. Some ask why God allows poverty, suffering, injustice, etc. A better question might be, . . . "If we are empowered to be greater than Christ on this earth, why do we allow these things to happen?"
3) To give prestige to somebody. Prestige = Access to resources. ex. Billionaire friend. This partner creates resources and opportunities you would never have on your own. When we are honoring someone, we are offering them resources and opportunities they would not have access to without us. (By the same token, when God honors us, we receive His prestige.) Side note: Don't try to make your pastor the king, attempting to draw people into your kingdom. Instead, take your prestige to everyone on the island.
4) Great respect and admiration. This is typically given to those we agree with or whom we are like. We have more difficulty offering respect and admiration to those different from us or who do not agree with us.
Admiration = wonder - finding the best about you. Honor manifests when we disagree, not when we are getting along.
THE HEART OF HONOR IS EMPOWERMENT. Nothing about you determines if I will honor you or not. I honor you because I am an honoring person. When someone disagrees with me, can I honor them still? Honor ALL people. Can I do that? or can I only honor those who agree with me? We think we have the right to judge/dishonor those we disagree with or who do not follow what we believe to be God's will.
Do I really need to honor/empower everyone?? What about children?? women??? sinners???? What if they are knowingly sinning?! Yes, we are called to honor/empower all, regardless.
Empowering does not = ignoring. It requires action.
What makes me more powerful than you? Typically people say things like Violence = Power or Anger = Power. We say, "I will introduce suffering into your life if you do not give me what I want. I am willing to hurt you to get my way." We believe and feed others the lie, "Other people have power over you." We teach this lie to our children.
We teach that LOVE is a Mac Daddy yellow truck crushing a little red truck when the yellow truck does not get it's way. Then we teach people that God is love. God becomes the ultimate Mac Daddy yellow truck, ready to crush us at a moment's notice. We get this picture of an angry God who can only control his temper by looking at a picture of Jesus and reminding Himself, "No, can't completely destroy them because of my son . . ."
Question: If God is punishing us for our sin, why are we still alive? Shouldn't we all be LONG gone by now? Consequences are not God punishing us. I John 4:18
If we remove the threat of punishment from our community, why will people behave? What will motivate them? How will we control them?
We need everybody powerful AND we need to have the keys to confronting people. We need to learn to confront in ways that will not trigger people's defenses. We need people to be powerful because you can not confront powerless people and have a good result - and we need to be able to confront one another.
"We don't confront prisoners, we try to calm them down." Paul Manwarring 2008. You can't confront a prisoner with good results.
We are afraid of conflict. We must learn to confront one another. How can we walk alongside you and fix this? How much trust is there in this relationship.
KINGDOM CONFRONTATION
In Kingdom confrontation, you must have 3 things, Trust, Self-Control, and Good Questions. Strength or relationship sets the tone for this to be able to happen. (Visual Aid of a tissue being ripped easily and a rope holding firm.)
Truth cultivates trust.
I can control myself on a good day. I can never control you.
Learn to ask good questions, not just throw scripture at people and judge them. (Story of man on staff who was like a torch running through a hayfield. He had to help train the man to think, plan, and pay attention to the things that did not come naturally, but not in a dictatorial fashion. Powerful guy meets powerful guy.)
Ex. Abraham and God bargaining over the destruction of Sodom. If God is confrontable, who is not?
Heaven trusts us amazingly.
Psalm 32:8 You will see my heart through my eyes.
Psalm 32:9 Don't live to need a cop.
Powerless people need rules, not freedom. Powerful people demand freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 in The Message.
Video clip of Stacy at the Quarter Horse Championship. (She coaxed her horse to do things no one else could get a horse to do, using only her voice and a gentle touch. Riding bareback with no bit in the horses mouth, no reigns, just her voice and gentle touch.)
How are Covenant and Honor Connected?
Covenant Purpose - Galatians 2:20
Side Note: Jesus did not help everyone while he was here. There were towns he simply passed through. In fact, he was going to pass by the disciples the night he was walking on water, (and they were struggling with their oars!)but they stopped him.
THE NATURE OF COVENANT
A binding agreement requiring death.
****Genesis 15 - God and Abram
****Old Testament sacrifices on the altar.
****Baptism and Resurrection.
Walking through death together implies, "May the same fate fall upon us if we break the covenant." There is no real covenant until there is death. John 12:23-24 I Corinthians 15:36-38
You do not determine the outcome of the other person in the covenant relationship. "I will add strength to your life, but I can not control what you do with it."
Hebrews 9:17
You don't really see the covenant until you see a corpse. When you might embarrass me and I walk away, I fail the test of covenant.
A relationship becomes a covenant when I convince those around me that I will die to protect the relationship. I am willing to put my name on you and your failure. I BELIEVE THAT YOUR FAILURE WILL BE EXTINGUISHED BY THE GREATNESS IN YOU THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE REVEALED.
When I am truly in covenant with you, you will feel my strength being poured into you.
Redwood roots only go six feet under. There strength comes from the fact that the roots of the entire grove intertwine and grow together. The have "lateral roots."
"I will find a way through these obstacles with you." I am now facing situations that are created by someone else's life that I can not control.
KNOWING PEOPLE OF COVENANT HELPS MAKE COVENANT POSSIBLE
Being people of covenant makes it contagious. It is a willingness to believe in you through your mistakes and failures. "I will confront you until your nose falls off, but I will never stop believing in you."
Ex: Farmer with prize winning corn was asked how he manages to win every single year. He answered that he takes his prize winning corn and hands out it's seed to all of the neighboring farmers. This ensures that the pollen surrounding next year's crop is as good as it can possibly be.
Who are the people you are currently surrounding yourself with?
Galatians 2:20
Again, I don't control you with my seed.
Good stuff! I can't wait for tomorrow night!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Too Safe?
Random Thoughts:
I was leaving Ala Moana Park a couple of days ago, when I had this odd sensation of a mountain lion lying in wait, ready to pounce. There are no mountain lions on Oahu, to the best of my knowledge, nor anyplace for them to hide at Ala Moana Park. The passing impression did start a dialog in my head, though.
What would I do in a place where wild animals could be lurking, hiding? Would I have any kind of instinct of what to do? Would I have a fighting chance . . . at all?
Then I thought about things like drive by shootings. I know they happen in cities all over the nation, but I have never lived in a neighborhood where I have to worry about being shot while walking down the street. Random people frequently fight, yell, and cuss outside my window at night, but none of them have pulled out a weapon to create a horrible, permanent solution. What would I do in a place where people acted like wild animals? How would I survive.
There are people suffering a variety of things throughout the world - many of whom would not call what they experience suffering, but rather life. Yet, somehow, I have lived nearly 35 years without ever having to truly fear for my life. I am thankful, but I can't help but wonder, how will I survive/adapt if and when that changes?
I was leaving Ala Moana Park a couple of days ago, when I had this odd sensation of a mountain lion lying in wait, ready to pounce. There are no mountain lions on Oahu, to the best of my knowledge, nor anyplace for them to hide at Ala Moana Park. The passing impression did start a dialog in my head, though.
What would I do in a place where wild animals could be lurking, hiding? Would I have any kind of instinct of what to do? Would I have a fighting chance . . . at all?
Then I thought about things like drive by shootings. I know they happen in cities all over the nation, but I have never lived in a neighborhood where I have to worry about being shot while walking down the street. Random people frequently fight, yell, and cuss outside my window at night, but none of them have pulled out a weapon to create a horrible, permanent solution. What would I do in a place where people acted like wild animals? How would I survive.
There are people suffering a variety of things throughout the world - many of whom would not call what they experience suffering, but rather life. Yet, somehow, I have lived nearly 35 years without ever having to truly fear for my life. I am thankful, but I can't help but wonder, how will I survive/adapt if and when that changes?
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Heart's Cry (prayer)
I cry out for Your people in the islands. Come and reclaim Your people. Reveal to Your Bride how to pull people out of the mud. Teach us how to love dirty people. Empower us to see healing pass through our hands. God, I long to see Your Kingdom grow. Purify my motives.
LORD, I have heard from many that you always choose to heal. That we pray that only what is in Heaven will be in Earth. But, Abba, I think there is a difference. We humans need opportunity to learn how to control our bodies and our emotions. We need to learn how to stand against evil spirits - and our own flesh. If we never get tired, never get sick, and never know heartbreaking trials, how do we learn to rely on you? I think of the angels who stood in the fullness of Your presence - and yet fell. God, I beg that you would humble my life in such a way - cause me to fall so much in love with You, that rebellion against You would not be in my heart.
God, as much as I long to carry the ability to do miracles, even more I long to carry peace and conviction. I want, in every way possible, to draw Your children home to You. Is it wrong for me to long for the days when we mourned our sin more than we mourned giving up our sin? Let us know how desperately we need you. Turn our hearts away from entertainment and distraction and make us lovesick for you. May we long for true excitement and adventure. Don't let fear stand in our way, LORD! Let me long for You more than anything. More than the touch or approval of men. More than anything. . .
LORD, I have heard from many that you always choose to heal. That we pray that only what is in Heaven will be in Earth. But, Abba, I think there is a difference. We humans need opportunity to learn how to control our bodies and our emotions. We need to learn how to stand against evil spirits - and our own flesh. If we never get tired, never get sick, and never know heartbreaking trials, how do we learn to rely on you? I think of the angels who stood in the fullness of Your presence - and yet fell. God, I beg that you would humble my life in such a way - cause me to fall so much in love with You, that rebellion against You would not be in my heart.
God, as much as I long to carry the ability to do miracles, even more I long to carry peace and conviction. I want, in every way possible, to draw Your children home to You. Is it wrong for me to long for the days when we mourned our sin more than we mourned giving up our sin? Let us know how desperately we need you. Turn our hearts away from entertainment and distraction and make us lovesick for you. May we long for true excitement and adventure. Don't let fear stand in our way, LORD! Let me long for You more than anything. More than the touch or approval of men. More than anything. . .
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Taken
I went to see the movie "Taken" this afternoon. It left me with a few thoughts. Before I go into said thoughts, I want to say a couple of things.
1) This is probably a spoiler, so don't read it if you don't want to know about the movie. I won't intentionally spoil, but I probably will anyway. You can always come back to read after you have seen the movie.
2) The previews that were shown before the movie disturbed me greatly. I tend to be a little hypersensitive but, if you can, go get popcorn during the previews.
3) The one thing I think they should add to this movie is a PSA (Public Service Announcement) at the end about what to do if you suspect someone is involved in a human trafficking situation and how to get more information on the problem.
Okay, now onto the movie. My thoughts, as usual, are a bit random so please bear with me as I sort them out.
I was glad that I saw the movie on many levels. I need to be reminded that human trafficking is a real problem with widespread and horrible consequences. It is too easy to shove that disturbing information into the back of my mind. I appreciate that they showed how easily girls can be taken and how quickly their lives can be ruined.
While the subject matter grabbed my attention, it was the father's character that really got me thinking. He would stop at nothing to get his daughter back. Now, I realize that some of you may find yourselves offended by what I am about to suggest. It is okay. Our blood needs to burn a bit from time to time. :-)
I feel like the father in this movie showed a great deal of the characteristics of the ultimate Father, God. For a while, I found myself thinking, "But no one could do all of this. No one is that good." That thought was soon followed by, "God could."
We all know the "sweet" story of how God came to earth to die and save people from sin. What if God's heart carries a passion similar to that of the main character of this film? What if His desire to have us home "safe and sound" looks that desperate. Unconditional. Nothing allowed to stand in the way. No risk too great. What if He was willing to fight through all of those trying to use, abuse, and possibly even kill us? Even when we made the choices that put us into the situation? Even when we were not in good relationship with Him?
What if God were that kind of Father? How could I help but love Him, adore Him?
Last week, Jordan (my pastor) challenged our view of a shepherd and suggested maybe we think "cowboy" instead. This movie prompted me to take a step even further. After all, doesn't the Bible describe God as all of those things mentioned above? Faithfully warning His children about the danger their choices will bring. Faithfully pursuing them to save them and set them free, even after they made those very choices. Fighting the darkness of this world. Desperate for us to come home. This is not a gentle, mild mannered, paper pusher. This is someone dangerous to evil.
What if it is His job to take out the evil and our job to help clear the way? Honestly, I do not have the strength, nor the skill set (and probably not the stomach) to take down a human trafficking ring. I doubt I could even stop gang activity in the inner city. But I can help clear the way. I can pray. I can introduce people to God. I can listen to His voice, trust Him, and do what He says. I can have my eyes open to both the physical and spiritual realms and be aware of how both are effecting the world around me. I could administer the IV to the rescued girl while He finishes wrangling the "bad guys." (Metaphorical ref. to the movie.) I could provide my resources. I could heal. I could deliver. I could be God's sidekick.
So much to ponder. . .
1) This is probably a spoiler, so don't read it if you don't want to know about the movie. I won't intentionally spoil, but I probably will anyway. You can always come back to read after you have seen the movie.
2) The previews that were shown before the movie disturbed me greatly. I tend to be a little hypersensitive but, if you can, go get popcorn during the previews.
3) The one thing I think they should add to this movie is a PSA (Public Service Announcement) at the end about what to do if you suspect someone is involved in a human trafficking situation and how to get more information on the problem.
Okay, now onto the movie. My thoughts, as usual, are a bit random so please bear with me as I sort them out.
I was glad that I saw the movie on many levels. I need to be reminded that human trafficking is a real problem with widespread and horrible consequences. It is too easy to shove that disturbing information into the back of my mind. I appreciate that they showed how easily girls can be taken and how quickly their lives can be ruined.
While the subject matter grabbed my attention, it was the father's character that really got me thinking. He would stop at nothing to get his daughter back. Now, I realize that some of you may find yourselves offended by what I am about to suggest. It is okay. Our blood needs to burn a bit from time to time. :-)
I feel like the father in this movie showed a great deal of the characteristics of the ultimate Father, God. For a while, I found myself thinking, "But no one could do all of this. No one is that good." That thought was soon followed by, "God could."
We all know the "sweet" story of how God came to earth to die and save people from sin. What if God's heart carries a passion similar to that of the main character of this film? What if His desire to have us home "safe and sound" looks that desperate. Unconditional. Nothing allowed to stand in the way. No risk too great. What if He was willing to fight through all of those trying to use, abuse, and possibly even kill us? Even when we made the choices that put us into the situation? Even when we were not in good relationship with Him?
What if God were that kind of Father? How could I help but love Him, adore Him?
Last week, Jordan (my pastor) challenged our view of a shepherd and suggested maybe we think "cowboy" instead. This movie prompted me to take a step even further. After all, doesn't the Bible describe God as all of those things mentioned above? Faithfully warning His children about the danger their choices will bring. Faithfully pursuing them to save them and set them free, even after they made those very choices. Fighting the darkness of this world. Desperate for us to come home. This is not a gentle, mild mannered, paper pusher. This is someone dangerous to evil.
What if it is His job to take out the evil and our job to help clear the way? Honestly, I do not have the strength, nor the skill set (and probably not the stomach) to take down a human trafficking ring. I doubt I could even stop gang activity in the inner city. But I can help clear the way. I can pray. I can introduce people to God. I can listen to His voice, trust Him, and do what He says. I can have my eyes open to both the physical and spiritual realms and be aware of how both are effecting the world around me. I could administer the IV to the rescued girl while He finishes wrangling the "bad guys." (Metaphorical ref. to the movie.) I could provide my resources. I could heal. I could deliver. I could be God's sidekick.
So much to ponder. . .
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Quotes of the Night
I had a few quotes from tonight's reading that I felt worthy of sharing. Please feel free to comment on them or post your own additions. :-)
"How often we wear ourselves out praying for more patience, faith, joy, or peace. All of these are the supernatural response of a Spirit-filled believer! It is not fruits. It is fruit. A more appropriate prayer is, "Lord, purify me and make me a fit vessel for Your presence. Then fill me to overflowing with Your precious Holy Spirit." Beth Moore (A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place)
"Once we place our trust in Christ, we are drafted into a fierce spiritual battle. Often kingdom life is likened to a Caribbean cruise in a luxury liner. People change into their leisure clothes, grab their suntan lotion, and saunter down to the docks. What a shock it is when they find that living in the kingdom is really more like enlisting in the navy and doing battle with a vicious enemy."
"We have been given the keys to the kingdom, the authority and power over the enemy, but if we do not exercise that power, it is of no use. The kingdom of darkness is organized to distract us, to prevent us from doing God's bidding. Through the glitter of materialism and power, sexual immorality, and the promise of self-fulfillment, Satan diverts our attention from the Kingdom of God."
The previous quotes were from John Wimber (Power Evangelism)
"How often we wear ourselves out praying for more patience, faith, joy, or peace. All of these are the supernatural response of a Spirit-filled believer! It is not fruits. It is fruit. A more appropriate prayer is, "Lord, purify me and make me a fit vessel for Your presence. Then fill me to overflowing with Your precious Holy Spirit." Beth Moore (A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place)
"Once we place our trust in Christ, we are drafted into a fierce spiritual battle. Often kingdom life is likened to a Caribbean cruise in a luxury liner. People change into their leisure clothes, grab their suntan lotion, and saunter down to the docks. What a shock it is when they find that living in the kingdom is really more like enlisting in the navy and doing battle with a vicious enemy."
"We have been given the keys to the kingdom, the authority and power over the enemy, but if we do not exercise that power, it is of no use. The kingdom of darkness is organized to distract us, to prevent us from doing God's bidding. Through the glitter of materialism and power, sexual immorality, and the promise of self-fulfillment, Satan diverts our attention from the Kingdom of God."
The previous quotes were from John Wimber (Power Evangelism)
"An angel from heaven appeared to Jesus and strengthened him"
How many times have I skimmed over this passage? I knew about the angel who strengthened Jesus after spending 40 days fasting in the desert. How did I miss this angel? I actually went back to my last 3 Bibles to see if I had highlighted the passage and just forgotten it. Nope. Somehow, as many times as I have read this passage, I missed it.
This verse appears between 2 I am very familiar with.
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done." and
"And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."
It took an angelic visit to strengthen Jesus enough to go on. And even then, He was in anguish to the point of shedding blood like sweat. For some reason, this verse changes how I look at the passage.
Am I the only one who has overlooked this gem of a verse? Does it impact anyone else strongly?
Luke 22:43
This verse appears between 2 I am very familiar with.
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done." and
"And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."
It took an angelic visit to strengthen Jesus enough to go on. And even then, He was in anguish to the point of shedding blood like sweat. For some reason, this verse changes how I look at the passage.
Am I the only one who has overlooked this gem of a verse? Does it impact anyone else strongly?
Luke 22:43
Monday, November 03, 2008
Early Christmas Thoughts from Luke 1
This morning, I felt an odd prompting to read the Christmas story in Luke. I fought the prompting a bit, telling God that I could probably quote the story by now. I then remembered we had a copy of The Message. The following thoughts are a result of my time spend with God and The Message this morning.
The first thing I noticed was the introduction. I am not new to the Bible, but the wording of the introduction cause me to look at Luke differently. Here it is . . .
"Most of us, most of the time, feel left out - misfits. We don't belong. Others seem to be so confident, so sure of themselves, 'insiders' who know the ropes, old hands in a club from which we are excluded. One of the ways we have of responding to this is to form our own club, or join one that will have us." Eungene Pierce goes on to remind us that Luke, himself, was an outsider and made a point to show how Jesus accepted the outsiders to himself. Very cool.
Luke 1:8-12 I got excited when I realized that these people were practicing the earthly version of what Jesus was about to do for us. At the time when one priest (this time it was Zachariah) went into the temple, the congregation was gathered outside praying. I can only imagine how strategic it was to have people praying/interceding while a lowly human walked into the Holy presence of God. It was serious business! Remember the stories of tying a string with bells to the ankle of the priest who went in so they could drag him out in case they were struck dead in the presence of God. (Does anyone else wonder how often that happened?)
We don't do that anymore. Yet we go before God regularly. In fact, we beg God to send down an increased presence. How are we able to do this?! Jesus. He became our intercessor, right? The sprinkling of His blood is what allows us entrance to the Father's throne room, but it is His intercession that keeps us safe while we are there. Those people gathered outside praying while Zachariah went before God was a foreshadow of how Jesus prays for us so that we can go before God. So cool!
"Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense." I love that Luke specifies that it was unannounced. I guess, since some of the other angelic messages were announced??
1:15-17 I think this offers an answer to the question, "How do we prepare people to meet with God?" Listen to how The Message words this, especially the last part.
"He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parent to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics - he'll get the people ready for God."
I guess my next questions is, how do you kindle understanding among skeptics? Or soften the hearts of parents to children? Maybe I should be praying for the strength of Elijah.
1:29-33 "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you." hehe I had to laugh at that wording. A slight understatement by the angel, perhaps?
1:36-38 "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."
I am not sure why it hadn't occurred to me before. Maybe it was because this morning I looked at things from the prospective of inclusion. God made use of those most likely to be written off or ignored. Mary was "young and stupid." Elizabeth was "too old to be of much use." By the standards of this world, these two cousins were among the least likely Israelite people to bring about God's plan for redemption. I love that, with all of the other cool stuff He is doing, God also spans the generations, bringing unity to cousins separated greatly by age. It is just all very, very good.
The first thing I noticed was the introduction. I am not new to the Bible, but the wording of the introduction cause me to look at Luke differently. Here it is . . .
"Most of us, most of the time, feel left out - misfits. We don't belong. Others seem to be so confident, so sure of themselves, 'insiders' who know the ropes, old hands in a club from which we are excluded. One of the ways we have of responding to this is to form our own club, or join one that will have us." Eungene Pierce goes on to remind us that Luke, himself, was an outsider and made a point to show how Jesus accepted the outsiders to himself. Very cool.
Luke 1:8-12 I got excited when I realized that these people were practicing the earthly version of what Jesus was about to do for us. At the time when one priest (this time it was Zachariah) went into the temple, the congregation was gathered outside praying. I can only imagine how strategic it was to have people praying/interceding while a lowly human walked into the Holy presence of God. It was serious business! Remember the stories of tying a string with bells to the ankle of the priest who went in so they could drag him out in case they were struck dead in the presence of God. (Does anyone else wonder how often that happened?)
We don't do that anymore. Yet we go before God regularly. In fact, we beg God to send down an increased presence. How are we able to do this?! Jesus. He became our intercessor, right? The sprinkling of His blood is what allows us entrance to the Father's throne room, but it is His intercession that keeps us safe while we are there. Those people gathered outside praying while Zachariah went before God was a foreshadow of how Jesus prays for us so that we can go before God. So cool!
"Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense." I love that Luke specifies that it was unannounced. I guess, since some of the other angelic messages were announced??
1:15-17 I think this offers an answer to the question, "How do we prepare people to meet with God?" Listen to how The Message words this, especially the last part.
"He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parent to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics - he'll get the people ready for God."
I guess my next questions is, how do you kindle understanding among skeptics? Or soften the hearts of parents to children? Maybe I should be praying for the strength of Elijah.
1:29-33 "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you." hehe I had to laugh at that wording. A slight understatement by the angel, perhaps?
1:36-38 "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."
I am not sure why it hadn't occurred to me before. Maybe it was because this morning I looked at things from the prospective of inclusion. God made use of those most likely to be written off or ignored. Mary was "young and stupid." Elizabeth was "too old to be of much use." By the standards of this world, these two cousins were among the least likely Israelite people to bring about God's plan for redemption. I love that, with all of the other cool stuff He is doing, God also spans the generations, bringing unity to cousins separated greatly by age. It is just all very, very good.
Political Thoughts
I voted on Saturday and had a few political thoughts to share.
1) How did I vote? Very carefully! The most difficult office for me to vote on was that of President. Honestly, I don't feel that either of the main candidates are ready to lead our country. Then again, who is? The only way anyone should ever approach that position is with fear and trembling!
I listened to a recording from IHOP Atlanta that said no matter who the new president is, he will have a prayer target on them because they will be praying for God to speak and move in his life. And that is what helped me decide how to vote. I asked myself, "Which candidate is most likely to listen when God speaks?" Once I found the answer to that question in my heart, I voted.
Who did I choose? Possibly the same person you did. Maybe someone different. :-) I decided not to tell. Wouldn't want my decision to influence or condemn anyone else's choice.
2) I had a brilliant idea to get people to vote. I did absentee voting at the mall. I think, if they are going to offer voting at the malls, I think the malls should encourage people to vote by offering voting incentives. If you bring your voter receipt, you get 20% off your purchase, or some such thing. It might encourage a whole new demographic to vote!
I guess those are all my political thoughts for the moment. Be sure to cast your vote!
1) How did I vote? Very carefully! The most difficult office for me to vote on was that of President. Honestly, I don't feel that either of the main candidates are ready to lead our country. Then again, who is? The only way anyone should ever approach that position is with fear and trembling!
I listened to a recording from IHOP Atlanta that said no matter who the new president is, he will have a prayer target on them because they will be praying for God to speak and move in his life. And that is what helped me decide how to vote. I asked myself, "Which candidate is most likely to listen when God speaks?" Once I found the answer to that question in my heart, I voted.
Who did I choose? Possibly the same person you did. Maybe someone different. :-) I decided not to tell. Wouldn't want my decision to influence or condemn anyone else's choice.
2) I had a brilliant idea to get people to vote. I did absentee voting at the mall. I think, if they are going to offer voting at the malls, I think the malls should encourage people to vote by offering voting incentives. If you bring your voter receipt, you get 20% off your purchase, or some such thing. It might encourage a whole new demographic to vote!
I guess those are all my political thoughts for the moment. Be sure to cast your vote!
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