Archive for the 'Vision' Category

07
Mar

the fruit of the wrong tree

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: Random!, Right In Their Own Eyes and Vision

A quote from my wife’s Starbucks cup across from me:

"The law, for all of its failings, has a noble goal - to make the little bit of life that people can actually control more just. We can’t end disease or natural disasters, but we can devise rules for our dealings with one another that fairly weigh the rights and needs of everyone, and which, therefore, reflect our best vision of ourselves." - Scott Turow, Author

Wow. Well, there it is - a quote that sums up the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. A quote that encompasses the self-delusional disease that has been progressively taking over the human heart since that fateful bite. Mind you, I have nothing against Scott Turow - I’m sure he’s a fine person, and perhaps an inspiring author. This quote may have been spoken by Turow, but might as well have been from anyone else who’s being honest about the situation we find ourselves in under Adam, the man of the earth, a man of dust.

"The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. The second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those of the dust, and as is the man from heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man from heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:46-47 ESV)

Wow. Great news is - a quote from the New Testament that sums up the fruit of the tree of life. A quote that encompasses the God-reality that has existed before time began and has been progressively taking back the human heart since the death and resurrection of Christ. Mind you, I think everything of Jesus Christ - because His life and word are being sent forth from heaven and will not return void. He will show everyone, not just "Christians" that there is a man who can end disease and natural disasters - the God-man, King of Heaven/Earth Jesus Christ. He has spoken, and anyone who’s being honest about what He has said has to believe we are in a good situation under Jesus, the second Adam, the man from heaven.

The problem is - we are still deceived into thinking we can figure out this whole good/evil thing. After we think about it hard enough, we really can deal with each other fairly, understand the needs of everyone, and in the end, create the best possible version of ourselves in our own image. Right? Hasn’t human history been one tale after another of men and women making the best of themselves and creating wonderful times on the earth that respect the needs and rights of all? Isn’t that the fruit of our choice, the fruit of our understanding of the law?

God have mercy on us - and He has, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the second Adam, who has come to renew our minds from earthly to heavenly. Because we were made to reflect His image, not our own. We just can’t seem to get over ourselves, our laws, and our "best vision of ourselves" - even sometimes in the Church. Only when we die to that (self) vision will we find the life in the true vision (God) that we were created to have and be completely satisfied in it.

20
Feb

the singular light of the healthy body

By couch 1 Comment
Categories: Heart and Vision

Jesus said - "Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your body will be full of light. If it is bad, your whole body is full of darkness." (Matt. 6:22-23) Of what great importance is what we lay our eyes upon! This is another great passage to demonstrate that the defeat of darkness, sin, and temptation does not come from the focused elimination of the bad via the bad, but on the focused concentration of the good, from which the bad simply falls away.

Paul said it this way - "Walk therefore in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Gal. 5:16). And David, having this revelation for Himself (as we need) said "I have hidden (focused, meditated on) your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" and "How can a man keep his way pure? By living in accordance to (the understanding and application of) Your Word." (Psalm 119:9,11) Again, it is by the revelation of the Word, not the revelation of what sin is, that gives us the power to overcome. Of course, Jesus is the Word, and revealed through the written Word by the Holy Spirit, and is our light in the darkness (John 1).

Note the verse above about the lamp of the body instructs that our eye needs to be "healthy". Interestingly, that same Hebrew word that’s translated "healthy" can also be translated as "singular". The point being obvious - a healthy eye is a singular eye. A healthy vision is a singular vision, not looking to the right or to the left for fulfillment, passion, or power, but "unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Heb. 12) There’s a reason Paul told us to "set our minds on things above, where Jesus is…" (Col. 3) because its’ both the wisest way and the most blessed (inner-fulfilled) way to live!

Everywhere you look these days, our eyes are being bombarded with tons of messages, information, and images. When I think about the volume of all of this, compared to what a man 150 years ago would have to deal with, it is overwhelming! The great servant of the Lord Art Katz once told me "You are apart of a special generation. I can’t imagine being a young person and having to deal with the continual rampart of filth being thrown at you from every direction." When he said that, I realized how true it really is. One can not even go to a News website without being tempted with shady pictures and links. How important, more than ever, is it that our gaze is singular, on the majestic King! And how much grace is given, in lieu, to those who will continually war for the healthiness of their soul!

Truly, David was not deadening his heart’s passions when he asked "One thing I ask….that I may gaze upon the beauty of the Lord." (Psalm 27:4) Surely David was not beating his body, forcing his gaze away from more pleasurable things to be "religious" and do the right thing. Most definitely he had the revelation (as we all need) that to look upon Jesus is to behold the most pleasurable, satisfying, fascinating and wonder-inducing thing in the universe. A true treasure/pleasure seeker! A true man after God’s own heart.

Lord, keep our eyes away from what will darken our souls. Let our eyes be filled with the light of Your face, yes, make Your face to SHINE upon us. You are our light and our salvation, and let our gaze upon You not be to fulfill a new law, or to satisfy some great requirement, but to truly understand that it is the primary purpose for which we were all created. Let our body be full of what light brings to a dark room: illumination, vision, purpose, warmth, joy, power, growth, energy, and more. Truly singular vision is healthy vision. In Jesus name, Amen.

And now, I remember that tonight (20th) there is a lunar eclipse at 9:01 CST. Interesting.

15
Jan

Great 2007 - Vision for 2008

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Vision

The new year is almost two weeks old now, but I’m still drawn to think about 2007. I’m so thankful for the many people that are in our lives, those who run alongside us and those who are running in other places. I’m thinking of individuals who have sincerely inspired my faith in 2007, some shaking off years of religious routine and bondage and embracing deep hunger for Jesus. Others pursuing new paths and finding new life when the leap was almost insurmountable at first. Some have moved into levels of hearing the voice of the Lord that would’ve seemed almost impossible even one year ago, others have found their own faith for the very first time. Most have touched new depths, and though that means greater challenges, are beginning to see the path to walk illuminated in front of them.

There were weddings and funerals, engagements and people moving on, a continual reminder of the fluidity of life and the constancy of change. As I get older, I am more and more amazed at the Lord’s ability to lead so many people in such a fallen world over so many generations. Unmoved, he keeps the end in mind and works tirelessly to pursue the hearts of men and women all over the world regardless of religion, race, or past. He truly is removing everything that hinders love, in love, without ripping things away from us too soon, but just enough to move our heart toward him bit by bit, little by little, time after time. He is gracious, compassionate, unchanging.

I wanted to write down individual names here, listing specific things I’m thankful to see in each one, but then decided not to in fear of offense in leaving someone out. The truth is, there is a war going on. A deep war that’s main front is to keep people from seeing the war. If it can do that, then the war will be won. However, I can see a multitude of people waking more and more to reality, seeing the Kingdom breaking in violently, and pursuing the King day by day, more and more for clearer vision. I want to encourage everyone reading this to make 2008 about nothing less, to see Jesus clearer more and more as He is. Even greater than we assume Him to be, think Him to be, expect Him to be, or doubt Him to be, but as He truly is, revealed in the scriptures by the Holy Spirit and unveiled in the natural and spiritual world all around us.

Nothing defeats darkness like light, nothing defeats doubt like faith, nothing destroys rejection like God’s loving freedom. This world is pulling people in through glamour, lights, and promises, and swallowing them whole in a pit of pain, rejection, and emptiness. Sin is such a horrible covering for our brokenness and insecurity, for not only does it lie to us, but it shields our eyes from reality and makes us think we are eating like kings in a pigsty. Wearing leaves is still silly, but we are daily tempted to don them.

Lord, may we be clothed with you as we see you more clearly in 2008. May your name and your renown be the desire of our souls. Amen.

30
Aug

What’s Your Destination? - Part 2

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Vision

I’ve noticed something - If our ultimate goal is set on something in this life - not only is our vision limited to temporary things on earth, but we seem to be narrow in our vision of God’s overall plan in general.

Say our goal is to be a missionary to South America. Or, something else, a college pastor in Boston. Our vision and focus will be on college students or on mission work, and anyone that has a different, even God-given vision for something else, we will look down upon, dismiss, or at the worst, condemn and reject.

Even if it’s God’s plan. Let me explain. God’s plan is global - no, his plan is universal. He works in and through realities in order to bring about one ultimate goal - the summing up of all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10). Therefore, everything that we do either flows along the “river” of what God is doing, stands stagnant apart from it, or blatantly goes against the current. (Bad idea 1:1)

Many people have their own “pet” topics. You have your “evangelism” guy, your “discipleship” guy, your “missions” guy, your “intimacy” people, and your “End-times” guy. Now God does gift us and empassion us differently, and I think that’s great. But what happens is, if we are so consumed on protecting our own “pet” issue and making sure everyone else agrees with us and does what we think they should (whether its really biblical at all or not) we will despise, neglect or completely dismiss others, no matter if they are genuinely loving, seeking, and obeying Christ in how he is calling them to specifically.

We just simply don’t go along with that because we aren’t as good at talking about it or don’t know as much about that subject or we’ve never been taught and so it doesn’t match our own vision. So our wretched insecurity keeps us away or causes us to reject the topic and the people altogether and we completely limit our vision of God and His ultimate plan. Phooey on that!

This is what the Pharisees did. This is religion. This is death. And they were called “blind guides”. We must get a higher vision!

We have to realize that ALL things will be summed up in Christ. The nations will be reached, the church will be purified, Israel will be saved, the devil will be judged, Jesus will come back, reign on the earth, and we EACH have a very specific and important part to play in that! Just because our heart leans towards one of those issues (not necessarily a bad thing) it doesn’t give us the right to dismiss, reject, or judge others because they lean towards something else.

Now, I’m not excusing unbiblical ideas, practices, or doctrine. But I am saying that genuine love for all people (not judgmental, preconceived, untrue notions and attitudes) should be the basis for which truth is shared.

Not everyone is called to be a full-time pastor. But we are all called to “pastor” (shepherd) someone. Not everyone is called to be a full-time missionary. But we are all called to follow God and share the gospel through our lives and words. Not everyone is called to preach, but we are all called to testify. Not everyone is gifted to teach End-Times, but we are all called to “know the hour is at hand, be sober-minded, watchful, and pray”.

How silly would it be for a pastor to reject all the members of the congregation because they weren’t pastors also! It would be ridiculous! Now we are all called to shepherd and love people, as Christ has shepherded and loved us, but the best thing we can do is not make them like us, but point them to and teach them Christ so that God can, in His great creativity, make them how He wants them to be!

So, don’t limit your vision of God’s plan by dismissing someone or some issue because you “don’t understand it” or it seems to contradict your “pet issue”. God’s plan isn’t limited to our own understanding. Let the love of Christ “which surpasses all understanding” be a bridge to love and pray that person on their specific way and mission in God. Don’t discourage them by knocking their “heart-issue” because it seems to go against yours. God is the judge of all things, and He will bring about His plan in and through those who humbly, teachably, and sincerely believe Him to do so.

Thank God He’s not like us!

25
Aug

What’s Your Destination?

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Vision

“It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” - Hebrews 11:27

“And even when he reached the land God promised him, he (Abraham) lived there by faith–for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent.  Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God….All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Hebrews: 11:13

“…They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life.” - Hebrews 11:35

Psalm 83 says “Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” I know I’ve blogged about this before, but a different angle on it struck me today.

Pretend for a moment that you gathered 50 of your Christian friends in a room together. You sat each of them down and one by one asked them the following question:

“What is God’s destiny for your life? Where do you sense that God is calling you?”

We’d probably get very similar answers from the majority of them.

“Well, I’m patiently waiting on the Lord to release me into full-time ministry as a (…pastor, youth leader, work for a church, etc.)”

“Eventually, I’ll be overseas on the mission field preaching the gospel to the people the Lord’s given me His heart for.”

“My destiny is to have a big ministry, write books, speak itinerately, and change lives.”

Now, perhaps few would have the last one, but I know I would probably place many, including myself, in one of the first two categories. And are those statements wrong, are they untrue?

Heavens, no! Surely the Lord has called us to various positions, places, and ministries by His Holy Spirit for His glory, and I am in no way deemphasizing this. But what I want to say is this -  we have limited our destiny. We have shortchanged our calling. And our life (or lack of it) is the very proof of it.

Name one person in the Bible whose greatest goal had anything to do with something on this earth. Name one person in the Word of God that was commended for longing to reach the “end-all” in this life. Name one person in the Word who longed for a earthly destination of ministry as their ultimate, satisfying destiny and goal.

I’m hard pressed to find one, and that’s because the Word is too full of commendations of men and women who looked BEYOND the veil of time, BEYOND the veil of the temporary, earthly realities of space and place, and UNTO a heavenly reality of a Holy City, a place built by God for those who longed for something greater than their earthly residence.

A place BUILT by GOD. We’ve never seen such a place! And just barely thinking about it stirs fascination, stirs wonder, stirs curiosity and awe. We can’t imagine! Indeed the Bible says no eye has seen nor ear has heard what God has in store for those who love Him!

Friends, I say this because I’m a person who has struggled with making that first answer my goal, my destiny, the thing I’m waiting for, been excited about, and longed for. And that place is death. It’s been God’s grace to keep me from those things, lest I miss God’s best, a faith that is awakened to the fact that there is more than just a “successful ministry, life, and death”. In of itself, its nothing but an un-fulfilling expectation, a waking up on Christmas day with no presents. Let’s not be tricked!

Are you longing to go to the mission field? Good. But long more for your eternal home with Christ, live as a stranger and pilgrim wherever you are, and not only will you be more satisfied in God and God more glorified in you, but you WILL accomplish your temporary earthly ministry with far more effectiveness, zeal, and the heart of Christ.

Why? Because you simply can’t lead people where you aren’t going. If our ministry unto men is a leading unto where we think “we are”, knowing what we know and doing what we do, that’s simply going to leave them dry. Good heavens, there is more to the Christian life than knowing good theology!

Paul said “Follow me as I follow Christ.” That was his ministry unto men, to follow and yearn and long and seek the LORD. To be with Him where He is, to think on things above and set His heart on eternal realities and exceeding revelations in the knowledge of Christ, casting down everything else as “dung”. Interesting how Paul uses his strongest language ever when talking about his own works and activities (even in ministry) apart from the joy of knowing Christ.

Jesus said “The blind can not lead the blind.” (Luke 6:39)  Let’s ask God for the faith of Abraham, Moses, and the others in Hebrews 11, the faith that gives us vision of something more, and awakens our heart and words to others that actually leads people somewhere good. And lets live lives as pilgrims, not settling for our “earthly calling” as the “end-all”, but by faith and expectation (and experience!) of the greater that is to come!

“And even when he reached the land God promised him, he (Abraham) lived there by faith–for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent.  Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.” - Hebrews 11:13

A good place to start would be reading and meditating on Colossians 3 and Revelation 21, to get a picture of our calling and where we are headed in this pilgrimage of faith - to the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem to live with Jesus and His new ages, heaven, and earth forever.

How necessary and purposeful is our ministry unto the Lord? Without it we are useless on the outside. It is the “necessary part” that won’t be taken away from us.  (Luke 10:42)

I don’t want to waste my life - living on the outside. I want to live, from the inside out.

05
Jul

Reflections on Psalm 84 - I’m Going to the City!

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Psalms and Vision

Psalm 84:5 “Blessed is the Man whose strength is in You; whose heart is set on pilgrimage”

This verse has really had my heart the last few days, after I heard it sung on a song that I placed on the “prayer room” section of the site. The idea of pilgrimage really grabs me, as it’s not something I hear alot. However, the Bible says that we are “aliens, strangers in this world” which are other words for “pilgrim”. The “pilgrims” we usually think about are those who encountered the new world, and new freedom, over here in America from Europe. A whole new land, a whole new realm to explore, a whole new place to roam, finding new things.

That’s really how I feel alot when I really press into the Lord through the scriptures - like I’m encountering things that I’ve never really heard about or considered that are thoroughly biblical, especially about the Lord’s heart and wrestling through the issues of His character. He’s altogether merciful, yet altogether Holy, Just. His mercy is His justice and His justice is His mercy. Things like that, the issue of Israel and the Church, the Last Days, the covenants, etc make me feel like I’m a pilgrim standing near a mountain range waiting to discover fresh springs, dense forests, high peaks, and low valleys.

Webster defines a pilgrim as “A wanderer; a traveler; particularly, one that travels to a distance from his own country to visit a holy place”. The key issue in my pilgrimage in the Lord, learning the depths of His heart, the height of His love, and the winding path of His ways - however, is that my strength be found in HIM. I can bring no provision of my own flesh, my own carnal nature, my own repository of strength and expect it to help me at all on my spiritual pilgrimage. The journey in relationship with God will provide the strength necessary for the pilgrimage. (”Man does not live on bread alone…”)

Often times I feel like I’m waiting for more of my own strength to go onwards, when really the Lord is bringing me to weakness so I can rely on the strength in Him during the actual journey, and therefore find the blessing Psalm 84 is talking about. I’m not sure if all this is making sense, but this has been some of what is on my heart lately. I feel like the Lord is showing me so many things, and they are not always easy to take, but some very, very difficult. It’s like the ocean that Dom was talking about, it looks deep and dark and far-reaching, so much so that we are sure if we dived in we would surely sink to the bottom, but we know in our Spirit we would not! But in fact, we know the very diving in is what is keeping us alive at all! (spiritually-speaking)

The struggle often times is not losing heart in the journey, but pressing on as a pilgrim, and I think that brings us to the reason for our pilgrimage. If we forget for what reason we set out on the journey we will find ourselves wandering or even turning back. But, as Abraham we must remember the point of our journey:

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going… For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Heb. 11:8,10)

Abraham left the place of earthly security to find His eternal inheritance in God. The journey was faith, the provision was the principles of God (”Your principles have been the music of my life throughout the years of my pilgrimage.” - psalm 119:54), and the goal was the eternal city whose designer and builder was God, that place that’s foundation is in Christ, that city where God will dwell with His people.

That city actually has a name, the Bible tells us it is called the Bride of Christ. “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband…I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.” (Rev. 21:1,3)

What perfect application (writing it out always helps me) of “setting my mind (even heart!) on things above!” (Col 3:1). One of those very things above is the city whose builder and designer is God! And it’s coming down to earth! God’s plan, completed in the mystery of the ages, to sum up all things in Christ by joining Heaven and Earth back together in Him and dwelling on the Earth in a real city with His people as He originally intended when He created us!

Imagine this city - which comes from Heaven to Earth! No more sorrow! No more crying! No more death! No more pain! What a tremendous thing to set our hearts on pilgrimage through the difficulties, trials, and tribulations of this life, for the joy set before us in this city with God, leaning on our Bridegroom for strength the entire way! Praise God, oh my soul, praise God!!!

Forgive me O Lord, for having such a low vision. I repent, O Lord, for downgrading my inheritance in you to some great ministry position or missionary assignment. It’s so much more than that, it is eternal communion with you in a real city that You built Yourself! OH, for a HEART that would BEAT for the things ABOVE and not BELOW! Why do I weary myself by waiting/searching for moldy bread when I could be journeying into the great city of feasting! And I tell myself - this moldy bread is my inheritance, its what I’m to have, and I learn to be (un) satisfied with waiting for that. Oh what a low depth of understanding I have - what low perception of your eternal gift to your people. Your gift is not simply a good life, a good ministry, a nice family, a peaceful journey - your gift is YOURSELF!!! And to dwell in that city where you will be - as Abraham, may it be, by your grace, my journey’s only goal.