Archive for July, 2006

15
Jul

Of Sprinklers and Mongolia

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Random!

Random - Jenny and I just found out that our lawn sprinklers have not been working at all for the last few weeks, actually since before Israel, and we didn’t even know it!

How did we realize that the water wasn’t flowing, that the automatic system wasn’t being so automatic? Well, goodness gracious, the lawn started turning from green to brown! The lush, think, healthy green blades that we are used to were turning into hard, bristle, easily-breakable brown refuse.

I just heard a guy speak of a band of Germans, Swiss, and Americans who felt called of God to worship Him in the middle of the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. They had to have generators brought out for their equipment and some of the activities they were doing with the nomads who consistently travel through there. They began to worship, and continued to do so for about 3 hours. Then, suddenly, in the middle of the August heat of Mongolia, out of nowhere, it began to rain. And rain, and rain. It rained all night long.

In the morning, when they arose, the desert began to look like a garden, as flowers and grass had sprouted out all over the place. Life was brought to that dry place - and the man said the Lord spoke to them “This is what I am doing in the nations of the earth, bringing life where there is only death.”

Isaiah 35:6-7 “The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the desert. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where the desert jackals once lived.”

Its good to ask ourselves - Is there life flowing in our hearts? Does the river of the Holy Spirit flow within? Is the water of the Word purifying us? Do we desire to know Christ and make Him known by the power of the Spirit?

It just took a turn of the valve to get the sprinklers going. Sometimes it just takes a worship song or a prayer of faith to get the life flowing again.

Let’s not wait until the grass is brown to realize what we are missing!

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.