Archive for the 'revelation' Category

06
Nov

right now is the right time

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: Poetry and revelation

Right now is the right time. Do you want to see?

Right now is the right time. Do you want to hear?

It’s for you. It’s for me. The door is opening, and the light is shining through.

It’s the entrance of light. It’s the entrance of His Word.

It’s the entrance of His Word that brings light.

The light that brings understanding. The light that brings insight. It’s for you. It’s for me.

Right now is the right time. Woe - for many are turned aside.

Right now is the right time. Whoa - turn aside! Behold a bush, aflame of fire but not consumed.

I want to get down low, crawl close to the cracked door that is opening.

I want to get down low, cover my ears to what others are turned aside to and listen to the Word.

Tenderly calling. A voice - I can hear through the opening door. Who will come? Who will listen?

Gently whispering. A voice - I can hear through the light and flame. Who will understand the strategy?

Come up here, come up now, my beloved, and I will show you what must take place after this.

For now is the right time. Am I listening?

For now is the right time. To whom or what am I turned aside?

Blessed is the man who meditates on this Word, this light, in the day, and in the night.

(Psalm 119:130; Revelation 4:1; Psalm 1:1; Daniel 2:21)

05
Oct

the dignity of free choice - part 1

By couch 4 Comments
Categories: Articles and revelation

We’ve all heard it before - if God is all-loving, why does he allow suffering? I’m not tired of this question, it’s valid. What I’m tired of is the answer that is often given, one that I’ve given at times myself. The typical answer includes lots of disclaimers such as “God’s ways are higher than ours” and “I’m not completely sure”, answers that leave the hearer/asker with much to be desired. Not that these answers aren’t true in some sense, but there is a richness in the Word of God (the person and the text) that needs to be searched out, and our lack of depth here not only robs us of key understanding, but others of “an answer for the hope we profess”. In other words, we are missing a key opportunity to share the Word of Life when we give a shallow answer.

For sure, there is no reason to be fake, or to be dishonest about your own struggles in understanding the great mystery of God. But I know for a fact that even in those times the Holy Spirit within us is yearning to speak to us and through us. I by no means have massive revelation on this question, but I do think I’m getting somewhere as I learn God. Often, insight into the journey is more important, and often gives a greater answer than the destination itself.

I’m considering this after listening to Matt Candler talk about the privilege we humans have in prayer. He was sharing that in his study of the Word, he has not found one place where Angels ask God for anything. Not once in all recorded scripture do angels intercede for anything before the great majesty, before the Holiest of All, before the All-Consuming Fire of God. As the old hymn declares, we have access where “angels fear to tread”, the place of standing before the One who fills all in all to ask Him for anything. Anything! Imagine! And why us?

Angels are so mighty that they often come in great power and glory, heralding great messages, bringing great visions, destroying entire cities, so much so that many eat the dust at the mere site of them! And yet, they look at us, “weak” us, and they “long to look into such things”. (1 Peter 1:12) Why? Because they learn about the nature of God from watching how He honors us to participate in the outworking of His image.

Because we, unlike them nor anything else in the created order, were created in God’s image. Without unpacking that entirely, think about this. God is God, and He made us to reflect Him, just as my image in the mirror reflects me. We are meant to reflect what God is like, how He feels, and how He acts - the ultimate example and perfect representation being Jesus Christ, the God-man, God incarnate in the flesh from the inside out. And the uniqueness we share with God is that we are given the dignity of free choice. God the Father doesn’t make Himself love His Son, but He voluntarily loves Him out of His own free will. If anyone has free-will, it’s God! And He chooses to love Himself, and He chooses to love us, demonstrated most spectacularly through His voluntary death on the cross. We are created in God’s image, and as He absolutely honors and appreciates his own ability to choose to love us (in order to reveal His nature) He honors the created man with the same dignity.

This is one of the reasons I think Calvinism is so dangerous, as it can truly and seriously do damage to understanding the very character of God, which will lead to a false understanding of who we are and our own destinies in Him. I have more to say about that, but for now let me focus back on free-choice.

Much has been said about God giving us the privilege to choose Him, and to voluntarily love Jesus because He first loved us. That’s amazing in of itself, but the flip side of that is that He has even honored the human race enough to allow unspeakable atrocity to occur in order to maintain His intended promise, the dignity of choice, to us. We are still allowed to choose, even if we choose evil and pollute the world with sin so that it “staggers and reels like a drunkard.” (Isaiah 24:20)

Why is suffering allowed by a God of love? Because a God of love demonstrates what true love is by giving those He loves the dignity to choose Him, or the alternative, themselves. God never meant us for suffering, but the devil has. And the amazing thing is - God will ultimately give us ALL what we ask for. Is this truly love, giving us the ability to choose what could ultimately destroy us? Yes, because where there is no freedom of choice, there is no freedom to love. And where there is no freedom of love, there is no freedom of God, because God is love. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

His freedom shows us the Truth, which woos our heart to understand the wisdom and glory of choosing Him. And when we choose Truth, we know the Truth, and He sets us even more free! (John 8:32)

And why, does the scripture say we were set free?

“For it is for freedom’s sake Christ set us free.” (Gal. 5:1) Hallelujah!

16
Sep

sick of saying it

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: revelation

Over and over again my heart cries - “Lord, I’m not worthy!” “Lord, who am I?”

I’m sick of saying it, sick of saying it over and over again.

I want my cry to be - “Lord, you are worthy!” “Lord, who are you that you would love me?”

“For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you.”
(Isaiah 64:4)

The world has seen many who are not worthy, that is no spectacular revelation.

The world has tried many and proved them wanting; there is nothing new under the sun about man.

“‘Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?’ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy….” (Revelation 5:4)

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory. For there are none that are worthy and then…

The Word comes to all those who are in that painful place, all of those who are overwhelmed with the revelation of their own weakness, their own barrenness, their own unworthiness.

The Word comes as the blessing to all those who are mourning. (Luke 8:44)

The Word comes as the answer to all those who are hungering. (John 6:32)

The Word comes as the quenching to all those who thirst. (John 4:14)

The Word comes as the treasure to all those who are searching. (Matt. 13:46)

The Word comes to those who are sick of saying ‘unworthy’, and are lifting their eyes again. (Matt. 8:8)

And the word is —> “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne. He has won the victory! He is worthy to open the scroll and the seven seals!” (Rev. 5:5)

12
Sep

winning gold over the constant hurdle

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: revelation

I’m finding that one of the most difficult things to overcome in attempting to live a life of prayer is focusing on your own weakness. Truly, the number one thing that hinders me while I’m trying to spend time with the Lord worshipping, praying, even reading is trying not to focus on myself, what I’m not feeling, and what I’m not doing right. Its like the bug you keep wanting to swat, but it keeps buzzing around your head. You think that its’ dead after you lash out at it a few times, but again and again it comes.

So, how to overcome this seemingly constant hurdle? Well, we tell ourselves, we have to focus on the Lord. And when it gets off, keep focusing back on Him. Back and back we will turn our minds, lifting them from the pit of self-analyzing and the desert of self-trying to set them on things above where Christ is seated in restful righteousness, our heavenly advocate and true righteousness. This is all very good and necessary, but I’m coming to realize something even more helpful.

Jesus said in Matthew 5, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I think this may be the key to getting back that heavenly mindset and keeping it there. Jesus is actually telling us we are blessed when we realize our own spiritual poverty, our own lack, our own need! When we recognize our weakness and complete dependence on Him always, that is more than half the battle already won. Let me explain.

In my case, and you can tell me yours, I begin to focus on myself when I’m expecting myself to say the right prayers and feel the right emotions in response to what I’m reading or thinking about in God. When I don’t feel the way I expected, or can’t predict what will happen in my heart, I get upset and begin to analyze why and what issues I have and basically try to “minister to myself” - completely putting my focus on myself, no longer abiding in the vine. I’m not saying all personal examination is bad, but most of us don’t have the problem of examining ourselves too little, we don’t examine His true greatness enough!

Instead of that, Jesus says in essence - Blessed are those who recognize they are in of themselves weak and completely dependent on God, because when they do that, then all of heaven is open to them! Why? Because they have ceased striving to “attain”, ceased trying to “formula-rize” everything, and began to tap into the true strength of Jesus. Instead of trying to figure out how to kill that annoying fly or jump that hurdle correctly, I see their very presence as a launching pad into access to the kingdom within me! As God said to Paul,  “My power is made perfect in your weakness.”

I want to search this out more and encourage you to do the same. Now, when I go to pray and encounter a colder heart than I expected or the revelation of my need to new depths, I’m going to rejoice! I’m going to say to that buzzing fly, to that constant hurdle - I rejoice in you, because He didn’t come for people to have it all together, but to bring the kingdom of heaven to those who truly need it!

18
Jun

as a tiger thinks in his heart

By couch 2 Comments
Categories: Simplicity and revelation

The Bible has something very interesting to say in Proverbs 23:7 - "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (NKJV)

Monday afternoon I was with my other parents (Jenny’s) in San Marcos taking a small respite after a long morning to watch the US Open Golf Tournament reach its dramatic conclusion. If your not familiar with it, Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate tied for the first four rounds and needed a fifth on Monday to crown this year’s champion. I don’t often watch sports, but I would have to say that the 30 minutes I watched was probably some of the best sports I have ever seen. Back and forth the two players went, with amazing shots under huge pressure. 24,000 came out to watch those two lone players battle it out, and with great grace they did, Tiger Woods finally emerging victorious.

As I sat there with Jen and her parents, a commercial came on from Nike. First let me say that I am a huge fan of Nike commercials, I think they are (for what I’ve seen) very well done. This one featured old video clips of Tiger Woods and his father Earl Woods. In the voice-over, Earl Woods, who has since passed from this life, talked about how he would coach his son in his youth. He talked about various techniques he would use to keep Tiger focused, and how he would constantly challenge him to be better. There was one statement, however, that really hit me - at first it struck me as ridiculous.

Earl said, "I would tell Tiger - ‘Tiger, I promise you you’ll never meet another person that is as mentally tough as you the rest of your life’." What? Can you imagine making that statement to anyone, much less your own son? How can anybody know that? The statement seems ludicrous.

But to this day - the legitimacy of that statement has rung true. Time after time, the man Tiger Woods has overcome in countless pressure situations to become arguably one of the greatest golfers, if not one of the greatest athletes, of all time. And how does he have it in him?

Simple - he has always believed what his father told him. And so he has thought in his heart, so he is.

How did Earl Woods know what to say over his son? He most likely didn’t. He just believed in him and developed what was in him with words of affirmation and life. The power of life and death are in the tongue, and Tiger’s father spoke into him identity, encouragement, and strength - and his success today is due to the simple fact that he has believed it. Of course, there are long hours of practice and performance, but none of those would even be possible nor worthwhile if it weren’t for his Father’s words to spur him on in good times and bad.

Oh that we as the church would believe what our Father says about us. Its’ the only way for us to be what He’s purposed us to be. Simple? Not really. Powerful? We had better believe it.

19
Feb

on the night He was betrayed

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: revelation

The Lord was gracious to us last night at IGNITE, stirring our hunger through a period of time of feeling nothing, but pressing in and through anyway, and towards the end, some amazing revelation came out. Sometimes waiting for the fruit to pop out of the vine is too much for us, but when it appears, it is sweet to the taste and transforms us, renewing our strength in Him.

One thing that really struck me was found in the "Lord’s Supper" passage in 1 Corinthians 11 that most every pastor reads before the church celebrates the ordinance together. Amazing how the Lord often likes to take some of the most familiar passages, and in His presence illuminate them (often more than brand new passages) with the light of His face.

The Scripture says "On the night he was betrayed Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, broken for you - do this in remembrance of Me." I won’t speak for you, but if I’m about to be betrayed unto death, and deserted by all of those around my table in that hour - even denied by one (perhaps more) of them, probably the last thing I would do is give thanks and then break bread with them. Unbelievable! He’s not running for his life, but unto His life in the Father.

"On the night he was betrayed." It was the most crucial hour of testing, not only for him to try and "save his life", but to not be angry and bitter in the least towards these men who had been with him for years and yet were just about to walk away from him. Not a hint of bitterness in Jesus. Not a hint of anger or even rebuke. In fact, He goes into this long 4 chapter speech (John 14-17) about how much He and the Father loves them, will not leave them alone, and will give them all that they need to endure. They have just about no clue what is about to happen (though he repeatedly told them) but over and over He tells them not to lose heart, to have peace and joy, and to abide in His love.

He doesn’t withdraw in the face of the storms, he lays into them with His Word. He doesn’t shrink from the difficulty ahead, but plunges through it with the all-conquering love of His Father. This and this alone allowed Jesus to be able to lift that glass of wine "on the night He was betrayed" and say "This is the new covenant in my blood - given for you." He was so completely and utterly secure in the Father’s love - that though he may have been tempted to think He was abandoned, even when His closest earthly friends did, He was not shaken. He was "rooted and grounded in love", utterly founded on the rock of the God who is love. The winds and the waves crashed against Him, and He did not bend or break.

May this mind which is in Christ Jesus, be ours in Him. This love of the Father, given us as He gave Jesus, be in us. Only that will sustain us in the great and terrible days that are coming.