Check this song out (link after this paragraph). The lyrics at the bottom. God is showing me freedom within obedience to the 10th commandment when I surrender. However, that commandment is terribly difficult for me to obey. And I am so thankful that he is showing me unending grace and forgiveness, as well. That is what this song is about. It's about the One who saves and it's a beautiful reminder that we do not find freedom, faith, or obedience outside of the One who saves. For this, I am so grateful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw2tOjW8Wh8
This song beautifully illustrates the truth that we were once in darkness. It carries the full sense of "BUT" so as to show that we are longer in darkness.
"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot over come it." (John 1)
Grace is our hope and our light... and this is the verdict: Light has come into the world.
Come join the song, lift your voice
As heaven and earth give praise
Fall to your knees, at the feet
Of the Son of The One True God
Turn from old ways, lift your eyes
For the kingdom of God is here
Open your heart, offer all
For Jesus Christ is here
Oh now
We have found our hope
We have found our peace
We have found our rest
In the One who Loves
He will light the way
He will lead us home
As we offer all
To the One who saves us
Call on the Name, that is hope
Jesus the Son of God
Lord over all, He is good
And His mercy endures
Always
His love endures
Forever His love endures
Forever His love endures
Forever and ever
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Faith and Obedience
This week the ideas (and difficulties) of faith and obedience have really hit me. Here are some of my thoughts thus far.
Faith: "The call to believe that the true God, the world's creator, has loved the whole world so much, you and me included, that he has come himself in the person of his Son and has died and risen again to exhaust the power of evil and create a new world in which everything will be put to rights and joy will replace sorrow." Wright models this definition of faith on belief, love , and obedience (through repentance). I have been thinking about this a lot since I listened to Darrell talk about the 10th Commandment on Thursday.
I am so frustrated by how I lack faith in every facet: belief, love, obedience. I mean, this is nothing new to deal with. The problem is that I fall into coveting so easily within all of this. I become fed up (with my failures), determined, and thus aim to forcefully increase my belief, love, and obedience.
Lately Abba is telling me "I have created you for myself." I have been sitting with this liberating truth all week. It's sustained me, and may it sustain me forever more, as it should. I have been created to have faith like a child. As a kid, I would do everything by myself to the point of absurdity (at least to those around me). I would always talk with myself (feel free to laugh) and come up with games to be entertained. On Sundays when the 49ers would play I would grab my nurf football and play a REAL game of football while the game was on. I had the privilege of being both Steve Young and Jerry Rice since I threw the ball to myself and always scored a touchdown. In order to play defense I would become the opponent's offense and constantly fail to catch the ball or I would get 'tackled' just short of a first down. I would also ride my bike and play basketball alone. I would practice free throws and make deals that if I made 10 in a row I would get a boat when I grow up. I took it as far as to play chess against myself or a stuffed animal. Remarkably I won quite often. There is something special about those times when I was a kid. To a degree it is unfortunate that I did not have someone to throw the ball with, or shoot hoops, or play chess with. What I say next could either sound absurd or make perfect sense: I never once felt alone while doing these things. In fact, I felt the presence, pleasure, and joy of the Lord within them. There was not a thing that could bring me down in these moments. And although I was 'raised' within the Catholic church (to age 10) while having not one idea who Jesus was until I was 17, I came to know small portions of my Abba through prayer and play time all alone. I reason this because when you are truly feeling alone, there is no joy. Joy comes through community with others (such as God).
"I have created you for myself." This is the God of the universe. He created a crazy kid who has nothing to offer but a fake touchdown, missed free throw, and loner game of chess for Himself! Are you kidding me?! Could I, the 10 year old Zach Evans, offer LESS? This same God reminds me that in being created for himself, it means I am created to be filled by him and no one else. When I don't do this I stumble into making myself ruler of my life and choosing my own inhumanity (sin). Sin: "Failing to hit the target of complete, genuine, glorious humanness." With that, I agree that humanness is beautiful. May I be thankful for humanness made in the image of God. That fully human would mean faith and obedience to God, because he created us so that we need nothing other than himself -for He is the Bread of Life, the Heart-Searcher, the Life-Giver, Beloved, Lover, Love. What a fantastic Being to rely on. This tells me that I should probably be more like the 10 year old rejoicing in community with God the Creator, as opposed to the 22 year old who tries to manifest faith on his own, instead of praying in every moment of my existence, "May I decrease, so that You increase." I need to go shoot some free throws with my Abba!
Faith: "The call to believe that the true God, the world's creator, has loved the whole world so much, you and me included, that he has come himself in the person of his Son and has died and risen again to exhaust the power of evil and create a new world in which everything will be put to rights and joy will replace sorrow." Wright models this definition of faith on belief, love , and obedience (through repentance). I have been thinking about this a lot since I listened to Darrell talk about the 10th Commandment on Thursday.
I am so frustrated by how I lack faith in every facet: belief, love, obedience. I mean, this is nothing new to deal with. The problem is that I fall into coveting so easily within all of this. I become fed up (with my failures), determined, and thus aim to forcefully increase my belief, love, and obedience.
Lately Abba is telling me "I have created you for myself." I have been sitting with this liberating truth all week. It's sustained me, and may it sustain me forever more, as it should. I have been created to have faith like a child. As a kid, I would do everything by myself to the point of absurdity (at least to those around me). I would always talk with myself (feel free to laugh) and come up with games to be entertained. On Sundays when the 49ers would play I would grab my nurf football and play a REAL game of football while the game was on. I had the privilege of being both Steve Young and Jerry Rice since I threw the ball to myself and always scored a touchdown. In order to play defense I would become the opponent's offense and constantly fail to catch the ball or I would get 'tackled' just short of a first down. I would also ride my bike and play basketball alone. I would practice free throws and make deals that if I made 10 in a row I would get a boat when I grow up. I took it as far as to play chess against myself or a stuffed animal. Remarkably I won quite often. There is something special about those times when I was a kid. To a degree it is unfortunate that I did not have someone to throw the ball with, or shoot hoops, or play chess with. What I say next could either sound absurd or make perfect sense: I never once felt alone while doing these things. In fact, I felt the presence, pleasure, and joy of the Lord within them. There was not a thing that could bring me down in these moments. And although I was 'raised' within the Catholic church (to age 10) while having not one idea who Jesus was until I was 17, I came to know small portions of my Abba through prayer and play time all alone. I reason this because when you are truly feeling alone, there is no joy. Joy comes through community with others (such as God).
"I have created you for myself." This is the God of the universe. He created a crazy kid who has nothing to offer but a fake touchdown, missed free throw, and loner game of chess for Himself! Are you kidding me?! Could I, the 10 year old Zach Evans, offer LESS? This same God reminds me that in being created for himself, it means I am created to be filled by him and no one else. When I don't do this I stumble into making myself ruler of my life and choosing my own inhumanity (sin). Sin: "Failing to hit the target of complete, genuine, glorious humanness." With that, I agree that humanness is beautiful. May I be thankful for humanness made in the image of God. That fully human would mean faith and obedience to God, because he created us so that we need nothing other than himself -for He is the Bread of Life, the Heart-Searcher, the Life-Giver, Beloved, Lover, Love. What a fantastic Being to rely on. This tells me that I should probably be more like the 10 year old rejoicing in community with God the Creator, as opposed to the 22 year old who tries to manifest faith on his own, instead of praying in every moment of my existence, "May I decrease, so that You increase." I need to go shoot some free throws with my Abba!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Not just another book
Often I find myself tuning God out when I read scripture (possibly because I am assigned to read far too much for Religious Studies, and it becomes impossible to process). There are those times when I strike gold, and beg God to tell me more. But, the other times I tell myself the story. Naturally, this happens when I am already 'familiar' with the passage, as though I have mastered it. In any case, I have been blessed by Wright's discussion of the Bible.
Echoing from each topic he brings up is this: Let the Bible do what it is capable of doing.
I took a class this quarter that beautifully illuminated Israel's story, as it placed Paul and the early Christians as actors within this grand narrative. This book was by Wright, which is convenient for the reading of the past few days. I get so pumped when I recognize scripture as a way of offering vocation, since "the Bible is the book through which God sustains and directs those who seek to obey that vocation as intelligent, thinking, image-bearing human beings."
It's not just another book. The Bible is beautiful.
Ephesians 6:13,17 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." "…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
What am I bringing to the battle? Maybe I'm carrying a few pieces of armor, but I certainly see myself has getting pelted into nothing without some sort of weapon. The Bible is "energy for the task to which God is calling his people!" God uses scripture to feed us truth. When we have Truth we have a foundation to stand on (He is the Way, Truth, and Life). The beauty is not in winning debates with truth, rather it is in sharing the liberating Truth that Christ lifts up the name of God, brings God's kingdom, fulfills God's will, offers our daily bread, forgives our sins, and keeps us in safety! Truth! Fact! Count it!
“The Bible is there to enable God’s people to be equipped to do God’s work in God’s world, not to give them an excuse to sit back smugly, knowing they possess all God’s truth.”
May it be hidden not longer within my mouth. May my every action reflect the beauty and love of the risen Lord. And may I count on scripture to reveal the mysteries of God's incredible rescue of humanity. Because, it's not how he speaks through scripture... It is that he speaks through it.
I need to let the Bible do what it is capable of doing.
Echoing from each topic he brings up is this: Let the Bible do what it is capable of doing.
I took a class this quarter that beautifully illuminated Israel's story, as it placed Paul and the early Christians as actors within this grand narrative. This book was by Wright, which is convenient for the reading of the past few days. I get so pumped when I recognize scripture as a way of offering vocation, since "the Bible is the book through which God sustains and directs those who seek to obey that vocation as intelligent, thinking, image-bearing human beings."
It's not just another book. The Bible is beautiful.
Ephesians 6:13,17 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." "…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
What am I bringing to the battle? Maybe I'm carrying a few pieces of armor, but I certainly see myself has getting pelted into nothing without some sort of weapon. The Bible is "energy for the task to which God is calling his people!" God uses scripture to feed us truth. When we have Truth we have a foundation to stand on (He is the Way, Truth, and Life). The beauty is not in winning debates with truth, rather it is in sharing the liberating Truth that Christ lifts up the name of God, brings God's kingdom, fulfills God's will, offers our daily bread, forgives our sins, and keeps us in safety! Truth! Fact! Count it!
“The Bible is there to enable God’s people to be equipped to do God’s work in God’s world, not to give them an excuse to sit back smugly, knowing they possess all God’s truth.”
May it be hidden not longer within my mouth. May my every action reflect the beauty and love of the risen Lord. And may I count on scripture to reveal the mysteries of God's incredible rescue of humanity. Because, it's not how he speaks through scripture... It is that he speaks through it.
I need to let the Bible do what it is capable of doing.
We're all addicts.
"Addiciton is the most powerful psychic enemy of humanity's desire for God."
If Hell is the ultimate dehumanization, then I think covetousness is one of the biggest ways we fall victim to a lifestyle that goes against out humanness, because life in subjection to addiction is one of the most hellish ways to live.
Guys, I have been running on empty for months. I am burdened by an intense dissatisfaction, because the only thing I truly have to hold on to - my Abba - isn't enough for my restless heart. And as I try to cling to all the other things I think I can or need to hold on to, I realize they will never satisfy. Why am I starving myself from the One thing that will truly satisfy?
But at the same time, all of that I kind of knew pre-yesterday. It was good to hear - it's always good to hear - but what I really, really needed to hear was the end part of the sermon.
"Grace is the most powerful force in the universe. It can transcend repression, addiction, and every other internal or external power that seeks to oppress the freedom of the human heart."
During my quiet time yesterday, I found myself literally (Bahahah, Simply Christian. Yes, literally.) weeping along with John as I read Revelation 5. The full weight of the fact that no one was found in heaven or on earth or under the earth to take the scroll hit me once again. It is so easy for me to hear the first half of Darrell's message, and to have my addictions and idols exposed to me, but so often I stop at Revelation 5:4. I leave myself sitting in despair at the sight of my brokenness.
But the Lamb! "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
So we, like all the Revelation characters, worship the Lamb who took the scroll for us. I'm realizing that the most powerful form of worship is not acted out in song or a prayer, but the decisions we make in our day-to-day lives. He doesn't want me to belt out my favorite worship songs if I'm just going to leave the service and choose my idols and addictions again. When I say no to addictions and yes to God, I give Him the honor He deserves by making Him the most important desire in my life.
I love that this sermon is coming so close to the end of our time together. I think it sums up so many other things we studied. There's the dehumanization chapter from Following Jesus, "Give us this day..." from 57 Words tells us how he provides all we ever need, Darrell's earlier sermons on the Prodigal Father show how neither son was satisfied with just the love and providence of their father. So much more is wrapped up in this commandment than we give it credit for.
If Hell is the ultimate dehumanization, then I think covetousness is one of the biggest ways we fall victim to a lifestyle that goes against out humanness, because life in subjection to addiction is one of the most hellish ways to live.
Guys, I have been running on empty for months. I am burdened by an intense dissatisfaction, because the only thing I truly have to hold on to - my Abba - isn't enough for my restless heart. And as I try to cling to all the other things I think I can or need to hold on to, I realize they will never satisfy. Why am I starving myself from the One thing that will truly satisfy?
But at the same time, all of that I kind of knew pre-yesterday. It was good to hear - it's always good to hear - but what I really, really needed to hear was the end part of the sermon.
"Grace is the most powerful force in the universe. It can transcend repression, addiction, and every other internal or external power that seeks to oppress the freedom of the human heart."
During my quiet time yesterday, I found myself literally (Bahahah, Simply Christian. Yes, literally.) weeping along with John as I read Revelation 5. The full weight of the fact that no one was found in heaven or on earth or under the earth to take the scroll hit me once again. It is so easy for me to hear the first half of Darrell's message, and to have my addictions and idols exposed to me, but so often I stop at Revelation 5:4. I leave myself sitting in despair at the sight of my brokenness.
But the Lamb! "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
So we, like all the Revelation characters, worship the Lamb who took the scroll for us. I'm realizing that the most powerful form of worship is not acted out in song or a prayer, but the decisions we make in our day-to-day lives. He doesn't want me to belt out my favorite worship songs if I'm just going to leave the service and choose my idols and addictions again. When I say no to addictions and yes to God, I give Him the honor He deserves by making Him the most important desire in my life.
I love that this sermon is coming so close to the end of our time together. I think it sums up so many other things we studied. There's the dehumanization chapter from Following Jesus, "Give us this day..." from 57 Words tells us how he provides all we ever need, Darrell's earlier sermons on the Prodigal Father show how neither son was satisfied with just the love and providence of their father. So much more is wrapped up in this commandment than we give it credit for.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Filling the Void
Last night I listened to half of “A soul running on empty”. This morning I finished it.
It’s hitting home hard.
When the sermon finished I sat listening to the emptiness of my headphones, unable to disconnect as even in the silence I could feel the words as they emanated from the ear buds and streamed like electricity into my veins and through my body.
The word of our Lord informs, performs, and transforms.
How simple the message is… we need Christ. We /need/ him. Not a flippant need, but one that defines us. I NEED CHRIST (ok, all caps probably isn’t necessary, but that’s how loudly my heart is screaming it right now). Saying that aloud is like putting my finger on the deepest desire of my heart and identifying the depth of the dissatisfaction in my life until I come to fully understand that need. And not just for me, but for society too as the droning rhythm of our daily lives groans for something more- for something to satisfy. I more fully understand my need for Christ as I more fully understand how we were created, as I more fully understand the law, and as I more fully understand the ways I break that law.
My soul has been running on empty. The tears in my eyes right now will attest to that. Tears not because I better understand how to be fully freed from my addictions, but because of how great AND deep AND wide the Father’s grace is for us. How true and pure His is love for us.
God, only you can satisfy, and only you can free us from a coveting heart. I will stop coveting when I start turning to you for everything, when I admit that I can do nothing alone, but that you can do everything. When I turn to you because you deserve all the glory, honor, and praise. When I “step out of the false center that I think I am, and into the infinite center of life”- which is you.
I turn to you because I admit that I am broken, and you are the only one who can save me. I turn to you, Yeshua, because you are the one who saves. This morning all I desire is to be loved, and this morning you are telling me how much you love me.
I give up and I give in. I am not going to fight this. I surrender to you.
Part of me thinks that Caleb Clemenents listened to this sermon before he wrote “Only You Can Satisfy”, but the other part of me knows that this is a universal message of creation and Christ and therefore Darrell isn’t the only one to stumble upon it’s meaning.
“In all of my life Iʼm searching
For what can be only found in You
Only You can satisfy
Iʼve seen what the world can offer
In all that can sway me I have found
Only You can satisfy, only you can satisfy
To live for Christ, I first must die
To all the rivals in my life
Only You can satisfy
Only You can satisfy
In everything I have in You
I find, You satisfy
In all that now lies forsaken
Nothing can match Your love for me
Only You can satisfy
Forever my heart awakened
To worship the One who sets me free
Only You can satisfy, only You can satisfy
To live for Christ, I first must die
To all the rivals in my life”
To live for Christ, we first must die.
John 12: 23-26
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (not because we are being honored, but because our actions are finally honoring the Father, inviting His honor to fill us, and therefore the real thing is inside of us).
Christ died to defeat the powers once and for all. Today I ask for death so that God may be my “all consuming passion” and defeat the “overcharged desires” within my heart.
It’s hitting home hard.
When the sermon finished I sat listening to the emptiness of my headphones, unable to disconnect as even in the silence I could feel the words as they emanated from the ear buds and streamed like electricity into my veins and through my body.
The word of our Lord informs, performs, and transforms.
How simple the message is… we need Christ. We /need/ him. Not a flippant need, but one that defines us. I NEED CHRIST (ok, all caps probably isn’t necessary, but that’s how loudly my heart is screaming it right now). Saying that aloud is like putting my finger on the deepest desire of my heart and identifying the depth of the dissatisfaction in my life until I come to fully understand that need. And not just for me, but for society too as the droning rhythm of our daily lives groans for something more- for something to satisfy. I more fully understand my need for Christ as I more fully understand how we were created, as I more fully understand the law, and as I more fully understand the ways I break that law.
My soul has been running on empty. The tears in my eyes right now will attest to that. Tears not because I better understand how to be fully freed from my addictions, but because of how great AND deep AND wide the Father’s grace is for us. How true and pure His is love for us.
God, only you can satisfy, and only you can free us from a coveting heart. I will stop coveting when I start turning to you for everything, when I admit that I can do nothing alone, but that you can do everything. When I turn to you because you deserve all the glory, honor, and praise. When I “step out of the false center that I think I am, and into the infinite center of life”- which is you.
I turn to you because I admit that I am broken, and you are the only one who can save me. I turn to you, Yeshua, because you are the one who saves. This morning all I desire is to be loved, and this morning you are telling me how much you love me.
I give up and I give in. I am not going to fight this. I surrender to you.
Part of me thinks that Caleb Clemenents listened to this sermon before he wrote “Only You Can Satisfy”, but the other part of me knows that this is a universal message of creation and Christ and therefore Darrell isn’t the only one to stumble upon it’s meaning.
“In all of my life Iʼm searching
For what can be only found in You
Only You can satisfy
Iʼve seen what the world can offer
In all that can sway me I have found
Only You can satisfy, only you can satisfy
To live for Christ, I first must die
To all the rivals in my life
Only You can satisfy
Only You can satisfy
In everything I have in You
I find, You satisfy
In all that now lies forsaken
Nothing can match Your love for me
Only You can satisfy
Forever my heart awakened
To worship the One who sets me free
Only You can satisfy, only You can satisfy
To live for Christ, I first must die
To all the rivals in my life”
To live for Christ, we first must die.
John 12: 23-26
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (not because we are being honored, but because our actions are finally honoring the Father, inviting His honor to fill us, and therefore the real thing is inside of us).
Christ died to defeat the powers once and for all. Today I ask for death so that God may be my “all consuming passion” and defeat the “overcharged desires” within my heart.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Simply Christian - Prayer
When discussing translations of the Lord's prayer N.T. Wright writes - "But again, the precise wording doesn't matter. Don't allow the surface noise to put you off." I love the reference to surface noise. He encourages us to get to the heart of the prayer which is about God's honor and glory.
One of my favorite passages on prayer that expresses many of the themes of Chapter 12 is as follows:
Ephesians 6:18-20, "And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should."
Paul, in chains, with the end coming quick shines sacrificial, self-giving, servant love and prays first and foremost on the Ephesian's behalf and then for greater boldness in making known the gospel.
I am challenged by the chapter to trust my new heart in Christ to freely express poetry, liturgy, sappy love songs, old school hymns, agonizing blood sweating dark nights of the soul, inward groans, and uninhibited dances of joy in a setting sun as a welcomed child with access and assurance (Thanks Darryl) at any time and in any way to the Father.
I know with my kids that as their father I listen to endless streams of knock-knock jokes and playground tales and stories of the lizard they caught and the frog that got away because I love the sound of their voice. They are a horrible source for information and yet their confession of life, love, and tragedy are my life's highest joy.
"He loves to hear us call upon his name." Lyric from Cheesy 70's Worship Tune
One of my favorite passages on prayer that expresses many of the themes of Chapter 12 is as follows:
Ephesians 6:18-20, "And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should."
Paul, in chains, with the end coming quick shines sacrificial, self-giving, servant love and prays first and foremost on the Ephesian's behalf and then for greater boldness in making known the gospel.
I am challenged by the chapter to trust my new heart in Christ to freely express poetry, liturgy, sappy love songs, old school hymns, agonizing blood sweating dark nights of the soul, inward groans, and uninhibited dances of joy in a setting sun as a welcomed child with access and assurance (Thanks Darryl) at any time and in any way to the Father.
I know with my kids that as their father I listen to endless streams of knock-knock jokes and playground tales and stories of the lizard they caught and the frog that got away because I love the sound of their voice. They are a horrible source for information and yet their confession of life, love, and tragedy are my life's highest joy.
"He loves to hear us call upon his name." Lyric from Cheesy 70's Worship Tune
Monday, December 13, 2010
This Blog
I love this blog. God has used the words spoken on this blog to change my heart. I am so thankful and I want to share how this looked for me (This as been on my heart for awhile, and as I reflect and write I know I am going to get totally pumped - and I hope you do too).
When Reid sent me the discipleship schedule, I was stoked but also nervous because with Religious Studies, College Life preaching class, College Life growth groups material, this study, and my own experiences and devotional time, I thought I would experience a content overload. Because of this I shied away from developing and contemplating this study beyond reading/listening followed by a short conversation with a roommate or CL staff about it or maybe a journal with some quotes.
Almost halfway through the quarter, I learned something new and obvious. I learned about the connectedness of things through this essay I read in an education class. This essay described how education should focus on the commonalities of humanity; I thought this guy was a genius! He basically said (from his Christian background) that the educated are those who start as early as possible to see the connectedness of life; which gives meaning. BOOM! BIG Question: What the heck was I studying within these formats (RST, CL preaching and growth groups...etc) that would have led me to believe it was not connected? If I were focusing on Christ, I get the feeling I would have seen connectedness. Bazinga.
Before I noticed this, I was so frustrated with feeling like I was unable to learn or remember anything. I was reading all these wonderful books but could barely share anything. I was focusing on everything but the one who all of everything is about. Jesus! The Lion, the Lamb, God with us! I remember asking Reid before the study: What is the focus of this discipleship program? I don't even remember the answer (if I got one), but over the past few months it's so clear: Jesus. And THIS is why I love the blog! Jesus. We're talking about Jesus (not practice, not playoffs).
Reading this blog encouraged my relationship with Jesus. I had spent so much time wondering: what is this study all about? Maybe faith? Maybe mission? Worship? ...man I'm starting to lose words here, but I hope my point is coming out. I, Zach Evans, am addicted to figuring out what is wrong with myself and focusing on fixing it - a form of pride. I focus on my inadequacies and want them gone because I want to be pure. Jesus is showing me that when I do this, I don't focus on him, I think I even 'create a chasm' of shame and guilt if I don't notice my brokenness in the context of his fullness. When I don't focus on him, nothing is connected and I am lost in the overabundance of content and not the fullness I receive from Abba for me, Jesus with me, and Spirit in me. Therefore, through this study and blog, I have fallen flat on my face in worship of the Triune God. Each time anyone shares I become more in awe and more in love with our God. Each day I blog because I cannot contain, nor do I want to forget, that Jesus has me, more than he ever has before. There is always a song that perfectly demonstrates it:
I am nothing, yet you bid me,
Come to you Lord Almighty,
As I come, I am overwhelmed with you,
Humbly now I'll break this silence,
As I'm weeping in your presence,
I'm so wretched overwhelmed with You
Your blood of redemption is covering my shame,
Your voice that shakes the mountains is whispering my name,
As you catch my tears, with your nail scarred hands,
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed with you
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed with you
He is freeing me from being overwhelmed by my wretchedness, which is paralyzing and a mega foothold, and He is showing me that I should be overwhelmed with Him. FREEDOM!!!!
When Reid sent me the discipleship schedule, I was stoked but also nervous because with Religious Studies, College Life preaching class, College Life growth groups material, this study, and my own experiences and devotional time, I thought I would experience a content overload. Because of this I shied away from developing and contemplating this study beyond reading/listening followed by a short conversation with a roommate or CL staff about it or maybe a journal with some quotes.
Almost halfway through the quarter, I learned something new and obvious. I learned about the connectedness of things through this essay I read in an education class. This essay described how education should focus on the commonalities of humanity; I thought this guy was a genius! He basically said (from his Christian background) that the educated are those who start as early as possible to see the connectedness of life; which gives meaning. BOOM! BIG Question: What the heck was I studying within these formats (RST, CL preaching and growth groups...etc) that would have led me to believe it was not connected? If I were focusing on Christ, I get the feeling I would have seen connectedness. Bazinga.
Before I noticed this, I was so frustrated with feeling like I was unable to learn or remember anything. I was reading all these wonderful books but could barely share anything. I was focusing on everything but the one who all of everything is about. Jesus! The Lion, the Lamb, God with us! I remember asking Reid before the study: What is the focus of this discipleship program? I don't even remember the answer (if I got one), but over the past few months it's so clear: Jesus. And THIS is why I love the blog! Jesus. We're talking about Jesus (not practice, not playoffs).
Reading this blog encouraged my relationship with Jesus. I had spent so much time wondering: what is this study all about? Maybe faith? Maybe mission? Worship? ...man I'm starting to lose words here, but I hope my point is coming out. I, Zach Evans, am addicted to figuring out what is wrong with myself and focusing on fixing it - a form of pride. I focus on my inadequacies and want them gone because I want to be pure. Jesus is showing me that when I do this, I don't focus on him, I think I even 'create a chasm' of shame and guilt if I don't notice my brokenness in the context of his fullness. When I don't focus on him, nothing is connected and I am lost in the overabundance of content and not the fullness I receive from Abba for me, Jesus with me, and Spirit in me. Therefore, through this study and blog, I have fallen flat on my face in worship of the Triune God. Each time anyone shares I become more in awe and more in love with our God. Each day I blog because I cannot contain, nor do I want to forget, that Jesus has me, more than he ever has before. There is always a song that perfectly demonstrates it:
I am nothing, yet you bid me,
Come to you Lord Almighty,
As I come, I am overwhelmed with you,
Humbly now I'll break this silence,
As I'm weeping in your presence,
I'm so wretched overwhelmed with You
Your blood of redemption is covering my shame,
Your voice that shakes the mountains is whispering my name,
As you catch my tears, with your nail scarred hands,
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed with you
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed with you
He is freeing me from being overwhelmed by my wretchedness, which is paralyzing and a mega foothold, and He is showing me that I should be overwhelmed with Him. FREEDOM!!!!
WORSHIP
Friday's reading was on worship and how awesome was it to participate in that Revelation 4-5 scene Saturday night at the Whitcombe's! As we worship Saturday night at the christmas party i kept picturing the throne and the Lamb on it. As we closed with "Come Lord Jesus Come..." In my minds eye we were inviting the Lamb to come and Rule and Reign. Bring His kingdom here on Earth as it is in Heaven! Just really cool for me and this study has definately heightned the WORSHIP experience through voice and song for me! As we enter the final week of the study i encourage you to blog more than ever before. Let it be a time of closure on this period of study on your life. Thanks again guys for journeying along side me through this study. Your posts have been very encouraging and thought provoking! I look forward to this last week.
PEACE
PEACE
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Community Builder or Community Killer
This is something that I have been thinking about for awhile, and need to be more intentional about. I need to help build community, but often I am so sarcastic or deceitful that I dismantle it.
"Relationships are built on trust and trust requires telling the truth" ... "Deceit hurts community"
Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Outside of a focus on Christ, our mouths are a cesspool for terrible things. The worst part is that you can 'look good' to those around you through subtle jabs. This is a battlefield that I constantly remove from my attention. I need to be taking each thought captive and bite my tongue so as to speak truth in love.
I sat for a little while after listening to the sermon wondering about the vast number of circumstances where I belittle others or scrutinize their name (based on inaccurate assumptions on so many levels) in my heart. And I went on to think of his grace and love for all of us. I could find this to be hopeless if it weren't for one thing that Jesus keeps telling me:
"Zach, there is no mistake about it, your heart is more deceitful than anything (ouch!).... but (yes, Jesus?), I love you and I am in the process of changing your heart."
So, in this area of my life where I do not live up to the call whatsoever, what do I have? Jesus, who can handle all my insecurities. And where is a route freedom in that? Confession. The truth will set us free. Cleansing of sin will arise from confession, through our broken and contrite hearts. Against Him do we sin when we tear down names. Our God forgives and renews our deceitful hearts. When I fess up to the level of my deceit (which my knowledge only has a limited glimpse of), I find freedom because I finally find the humility to let him in (via confession) and He begins His tearing down and building up of that part of my heart. And... I love him for it; for I have found that the more I confess (AKA the more willing I am to say what God already knows I am doing), the less I struggle with it.
"Relationships are built on trust and trust requires telling the truth" ... "Deceit hurts community"
Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Outside of a focus on Christ, our mouths are a cesspool for terrible things. The worst part is that you can 'look good' to those around you through subtle jabs. This is a battlefield that I constantly remove from my attention. I need to be taking each thought captive and bite my tongue so as to speak truth in love.
I sat for a little while after listening to the sermon wondering about the vast number of circumstances where I belittle others or scrutinize their name (based on inaccurate assumptions on so many levels) in my heart. And I went on to think of his grace and love for all of us. I could find this to be hopeless if it weren't for one thing that Jesus keeps telling me:
"Zach, there is no mistake about it, your heart is more deceitful than anything (ouch!).... but (yes, Jesus?), I love you and I am in the process of changing your heart."
So, in this area of my life where I do not live up to the call whatsoever, what do I have? Jesus, who can handle all my insecurities. And where is a route freedom in that? Confession. The truth will set us free. Cleansing of sin will arise from confession, through our broken and contrite hearts. Against Him do we sin when we tear down names. Our God forgives and renews our deceitful hearts. When I fess up to the level of my deceit (which my knowledge only has a limited glimpse of), I find freedom because I finally find the humility to let him in (via confession) and He begins His tearing down and building up of that part of my heart. And... I love him for it; for I have found that the more I confess (AKA the more willing I am to say what God already knows I am doing), the less I struggle with it.
Kick Butt Stuff!
If God kicks butt, and Jesus kicks butt, that means the Spirit kicks butt too...you put those three together and you have SOME KICK BUTT STUFF! Now i know an early 90's movie reference is a little "out-there" for some of you but Chris Farley got it! The last 2 chapters of Simply Christian have "Kicked Butt". God's breath of life might be my favorite chapter yet. Page 122 - "Many of the questions we ask God can't be answered directly, not because God doesnt know the answer but because our question doesnt make sense"!!!!!! Man did that perspective ever help me. We ask questions like is yellow round or square? How many hours in a mile? What do you want me to do with MY LIFE? All of those questions dont make sense! ENTER THE SPIRIT! "But the point of the spirit is to enable those who follow Jesus to take into all the world the news that He is Lord, that He has won the victory over the forces of evil, that a new world has opened up, and that we are to help make it happen". The Spirit comes and dunks and drenches (Baptizes) us with Himself and enables us to go out into this world. I am coming more and more to believe that the Spirit gives us 3 things. A towel, A basin, And a cross! "GO" says the Spirit - not by power, not by might, but by my Spirit says the Lord! Power = Towel, Might = Basin, His Spirit = Cross!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The heart-searcher
"God [The heart-searcher] is the one who satisfies the passion for justice, the longing for spirituality, the hunger for relationship, the yearning for beauty."
This is the God who is searching our hearts and sees what we need, for a number of reasons it is the clearest possible thing to Him. But God does not simply search our hearts and take note of what we need. He fulfills it. Our cups overflow with joy, love, and peace, as we dwell within his rich presence.
Each day I find sustenance in revering our Holy God, which leads to the wholeness I experience from his role (and rule) in my life. I crave more sacrifice and more dependence because he is so good and faithful. I am so thankful that this study has given me an opportunity to focus on God in the ways that it has.
This is the outflow of my heart because of His love, for which I respond with thanks and love:
This is the God who is searching our hearts and sees what we need, for a number of reasons it is the clearest possible thing to Him. But God does not simply search our hearts and take note of what we need. He fulfills it. Our cups overflow with joy, love, and peace, as we dwell within his rich presence.
Each day I find sustenance in revering our Holy God, which leads to the wholeness I experience from his role (and rule) in my life. I crave more sacrifice and more dependence because he is so good and faithful. I am so thankful that this study has given me an opportunity to focus on God in the ways that it has.
This is the outflow of my heart because of His love, for which I respond with thanks and love:
Because of Jesus
It is all because of Jesus that we speak of God the way we do.
It is all because of Jesus that we have accesss to a deep and intimate relationship with God.
Because of Jesus we share the heart of God for ourselves and for our world.
"It's always a love game: God's love for the world calling out an answering love from us, enabling us to discover that God not only happens to love us but that he is love itself."
It is all because of Jesus "that we find ourselves called to live the way we do."
It is because of Jesus and through Jesus that we understand the new law and find the instructions for how we were made to live and be fully satisfied.
Not suprisingly I find myself drawn to John 13 this morning...
"It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." John 13:1
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
"Look hard at Jesus, especially as he goes to his death, and you will discover more about God than you could ever have guessed from studying the infinite shining heavens or the moral law within your own conscience."
It is all because of Jesus that we have accesss to a deep and intimate relationship with God.
Because of Jesus we share the heart of God for ourselves and for our world.
"It's always a love game: God's love for the world calling out an answering love from us, enabling us to discover that God not only happens to love us but that he is love itself."
It is all because of Jesus "that we find ourselves called to live the way we do."
It is because of Jesus and through Jesus that we understand the new law and find the instructions for how we were made to live and be fully satisfied.
Not suprisingly I find myself drawn to John 13 this morning...
"It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." John 13:1
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
"Look hard at Jesus, especially as he goes to his death, and you will discover more about God than you could ever have guessed from studying the infinite shining heavens or the moral law within your own conscience."
This is great- Jesus wants not just to influence us, but to rescue us; not just to inform us, but to heal us; not just to give us something to think about, but to feed us and to feed us with himself.
I'm finding more and more that I'm drawn to passages and scriptures that talk about Christ pursuing intimacy with me. And.. welp, this one does the trick. I don't really have any insight to share at this point, just impressed that our God wants to know me better.
Monday, December 6, 2010
The hope in renewal
The hope in renewal, which is granted from the resurrection of our Lord brings me to my knees in worship of God. I grew up without any idea of this precious gift. For three-fourths of my life, there was none of this hope. Each idea, success and failure, relationship would amount to nothing, as I did not see God in anything.
In contemplating the glorious collision of heaven and earth, I find my heart crying out for those who feel as I once felt. I become 'fussy', like a child who wants something so badly but cannot do anything to get it, when considering those who don't know him. I get riled up on it. And then I'd shut down out of hopelessness... until recently. By His grace we co-labor with him to bring his kingdom of renewal and Life. I'm pumped on this and once again brought to my knees in prayer and worship of the one who is so faithful: the one who promised the world's salvation through a broken Israel, and delivered us in a mysterious and beautiful way - through the incarnate Son on the cross. Praise be to the one who is faithful, the one who beckons his children wherever they are and gives hope to those are lost and simply need to come home (Luke 15).
I am reminded of the song "Only You" from this idea of renewal, because I don't deserve it. It brings me to my knees - it brings creation to its knees in worship.
In contemplating the glorious collision of heaven and earth, I find my heart crying out for those who feel as I once felt. I become 'fussy', like a child who wants something so badly but cannot do anything to get it, when considering those who don't know him. I get riled up on it. And then I'd shut down out of hopelessness... until recently. By His grace we co-labor with him to bring his kingdom of renewal and Life. I'm pumped on this and once again brought to my knees in prayer and worship of the one who is so faithful: the one who promised the world's salvation through a broken Israel, and delivered us in a mysterious and beautiful way - through the incarnate Son on the cross. Praise be to the one who is faithful, the one who beckons his children wherever they are and gives hope to those are lost and simply need to come home (Luke 15).
I am reminded of the song "Only You" from this idea of renewal, because I don't deserve it. It brings me to my knees - it brings creation to its knees in worship.
Take my heart, I Lay it down
At the feet of you whose crowned
Take my life, I’m letting go
I lift it up to You who’s throned
And I will worship You, Lord
Only You, Lord
And I will bow down before You
Only You Lord
Take my fret, take my fear
All I have, I’m leaving here
Be all my hopes, be all my dreams
Be all my delights, be my everything
And It’s just you and me here now
Only you and me here now
You should see the view
When it’s only You
I am not ashamed, I am in love
"...God raised Jesus from the dead. Had he not done so, nobody would have followed Jesus from that day onwards. A crucified Messiah, as we saw earlier on, is a failed Messiah." (111)
This acts as a pretty good rule of thumb, if it is subject to death, and is therefore susceptible to the wages of sin, how can it possibly do any saving work. Luckily for us, the Holy God, Yahwah, incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth was by no means under the power of death. But rather allowed himself (the lion of Judah) to appear as a slain lamb to satiate God's perfect justice.
In all seriousness, I have continued to fall in love with Jesus of Nazareth in these weeks since summer. When I hear someone speak of Jesus in a way that goes against how I know him to be, my heart doesn't start spewing out some intellectual response, but rather I feel indignant as though someone had spoken wrongly of my lover, my wife, my child, my friend, my brother. Jesus is way more fun to hang out with when he's not just some historical character that lived thousands of years ago, and whom I've read a lot about. He is patient, He is kind, He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud, He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs, He does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. HE NEVER FAILS!
(See 1 Corinthians 13)
When I was a child, I desired cream puff ideas. But when I taste Jesus, I'll accept nothing less than an intense love affair with my risen Lord.
This acts as a pretty good rule of thumb, if it is subject to death, and is therefore susceptible to the wages of sin, how can it possibly do any saving work. Luckily for us, the Holy God, Yahwah, incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth was by no means under the power of death. But rather allowed himself (the lion of Judah) to appear as a slain lamb to satiate God's perfect justice.
In all seriousness, I have continued to fall in love with Jesus of Nazareth in these weeks since summer. When I hear someone speak of Jesus in a way that goes against how I know him to be, my heart doesn't start spewing out some intellectual response, but rather I feel indignant as though someone had spoken wrongly of my lover, my wife, my child, my friend, my brother. Jesus is way more fun to hang out with when he's not just some historical character that lived thousands of years ago, and whom I've read a lot about. He is patient, He is kind, He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud, He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs, He does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. HE NEVER FAILS!
(See 1 Corinthians 13)
When I was a child, I desired cream puff ideas. But when I taste Jesus, I'll accept nothing less than an intense love affair with my risen Lord.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Fully human - Fully ALIVE.
I absolutely loved N.T. Wright's thoughts on Heaven and Hell from Wednesday. If dehumanization is uniting Hell and earth, Father, I want to become fully human! So often we say, "Well, I'm only human," as an excuse for moral failings. But the truth is that the only one to ever be fully human, to do this whole human thing right was also fully God!
Father, would I embrace that identity. Allow me to become a part of bringing heaven down by embracing my humanness - in the ways You've ordained. I don't want to be "just human" - I want to finally come to understand how you intend for me to live out my humanity.
The way the Message phrases Romans 2:14-16 has always expressed this idea really well for me:
"When outsiders who have never heard of God's law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God's law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong."
So while I feel like I've "known" that concept for a while, the Following Jesus chapters are showing me that it's not just something that pertains to the fulfillment of the Law. It's everything about who I am (because of who I AM is, was, and will be) - including my brokenness and weaknesses. Things that I would have said detract from my ability to become more like my Abba actually draw me nearer to His heart when they are grounded in full dependence on Him.
"My power was made perfect in human weakness on the cross. My power will be made perfect in the human weakness of your life, Pearl." -Abba.
God's Breath of Life
"God doesn't give people the Holy Spirit in order to let them enjoy the spiritual equivalent of a day at Disneyland...But the point of the Spirit is to enable those who follow Jesus to take into all the world news that he is Lord, and that he has won the victory over the forces of evil, that a new world has opened up, and that we are to help make it happen."
Oh, how I love this. My view becomes narrow when I get discouraged and solely ask for the Spirit to take me to Disneyland. If only I would see a piece of God's greater purpose to relocate his Temple into my flesh and what that means! What a gift to be bearers of good news. I have been thinking about this a lot and praying for chances to share this good news. And my hope is that I don't only explain the Disneyland feeling - which does exist to this day for me, as compared to when I did not know or follow Jesus and was not filled with joy. My hope is that I am wise in the way I act toward outsiders; making the most of every opportunity (Col 4:5), so that I am presenting the main point of the Spirit; to proclaim Jesus is Lord, having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col 2:15), and that we have been given new Life to share with others.
And in all truth, it is blowing my mind to contemplate God's grace and love in dwelling among us (Jesus) and in us (Spirit). Oh, how he loves!
Oh, how I love this. My view becomes narrow when I get discouraged and solely ask for the Spirit to take me to Disneyland. If only I would see a piece of God's greater purpose to relocate his Temple into my flesh and what that means! What a gift to be bearers of good news. I have been thinking about this a lot and praying for chances to share this good news. And my hope is that I don't only explain the Disneyland feeling - which does exist to this day for me, as compared to when I did not know or follow Jesus and was not filled with joy. My hope is that I am wise in the way I act toward outsiders; making the most of every opportunity (Col 4:5), so that I am presenting the main point of the Spirit; to proclaim Jesus is Lord, having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col 2:15), and that we have been given new Life to share with others.
And in all truth, it is blowing my mind to contemplate God's grace and love in dwelling among us (Jesus) and in us (Spirit). Oh, how he loves!
Day 32 (Throwback)
Another song by Gungor brought me back to Darrell's talk on commandment #2. This one is called "Cannot Keep You."
"They tried to keep you in a tent
They could not keep you in a temple
Or any of their idols, to see and understand
We cannot keep you in a church
We cannot keep you in a Bible
Or it's just another idol to box you in
They could not keep you in their walls
We cannot keep you in ours either
For you are so much greater
Who is like the Lord
The maker of the heavens
Who dwells with the poor
He lifts them from the ashes
And He seats them among princess
Who is like the Lord
We've tried to keep you in our tents
We've tried to keep you in our temples
We've worshiped all our idols
We want all that to end
So we will find you in the streets
And we will find you in the prisons
And even in our Bibles and churches
Who is like the Lord
The maker of the heavens
Who dwells with the poor
He lifts them from the ashes
And He seats them among princes
Who is like the Lord
We cannot contain, cannot contain
The glory of your name
We cannot contain, cannot contain
The glory of your name
We cannot contain, cannot contain
The glory of your name
Who is like the Lord
You took me from the ashes
And you healed me from my blindness
Who is like the Lord"
This song makes the similarities between Israel and our present age so clear. As Darrell said, we are all "idol factories," trying imagine gods that fit into our finite understanding and our selfish lives. Darrell's third point from his sermon "Don't Box Me In" really hit hard when I went back and listened to the sermon again a few days ago. He explained that idols affect our Relationship with God by first limiting Him, then leading us astray as we focused on this disproportionate idol, which then requires that we localize God and restrict Him to where our idol is and how our idol functions, and soon enough this idol becomes our god, thereby breaking commandment #1.
Factory is an excellent word to describe how I create idols. I'll idolize something, and then the minute I believe that idolatry is no longer an issue, it is actually because my factory has just pumped out next year's model and I haven't recognized it yet. I so easily localize God and where I believe He is working. Its quite ridiculous actually, it's almost as if I have a mental checklist, or better yet a sliding scale of where God will move and where He wont. It's rooted in my trust in probabilities rather than faith, and it tells me that places like my engineering lab or the bus are places that God won't move, College Life and Houseboats are places I have to see God move, and maybe He'll move in my apartment or in the lives of the students on the robotics team I mentor, but chances aren't looking good for that.
It's easy to make incredible communities like Sonshine or College Life into idols. We see God move there in powerful ways, but its far and away not the only place He is moving. He is so much greater than a camp and a college group! As the song sings, "We cannot contain the glory of Your name!"
Lord, make Yourself real in our lives, the one true, living God, who will not be contained in our temples or churches. Jesus Christ, you are not safe, but you are good! Hallowed be Your name.
Ps. I love how juiced the blog has been this past week, my apologies for not jumping in until now. I've been trying to play a game of catch-up with God this past week, and I finally gave into His call to rest tonight and just be in His presence. His Sabbath is so good. Love you all, two more weeks left in the study, stay salty friends!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Day 45
"God's dimension and our dimension - heaven and earth - overlap and interlock" Simply Christian, page 128.
"At the start there was love
And life began in Him
Creation falls, Creator gives
The promise of a better day
We are not there yet
Let it come, let it come in
Love is here, Love is coming
Heaven is breaking open
Heaven is breaking open
Love came down and hope was found
Life began again
A brand new start
Yeah a brand new start
The promise of a better day
Love came down and hope was found
Now we’re waking up to a brighter day
Oh brighter day brighter day
Oh brighter day brighter day
Oh brighter day
We’ll see a brighter day" - Brighter Day by Gungor
Stanford's talk on God's transcendence and immanence is running through my head when I read this chapter. The Spirit of God is a perfect picture of that cosmic duality of God. So close, so personal, there to guide us in every step of our journey, yet so powerful, so wonderful that we can read all the books we want on the Spirit and just skim the surface of the ways the Spirit is moving in the world. For most of my life, I've stuck the Spirit in that box Wright talked about, expecting Him to move in "spectacular 'supernatural' events" rather than seeing His faithfulness in daily quiet times, humble service projects and honest relationships. I've come to understand the Spirit as our Counselor, there to sharpen, convict and empower me as God works through me, and the church, to bring heaven down to earth.
This chapter feels like a different angle on "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven," which took me back to 57 Words. Darrell reminds us that praying this petition is "one of, if not the most radical thing a human being can do, for it turns out that in this petition we are asking God to bring about the most massive revolution imaginable." I read this and think "Yes! This is what I want! Viva la revolucion!" Then why does the Spirit's work in my life seem stifled, almost suffocated? Oh wait... "perhaps it is that we know the coming of God's rule means the end of our rule." I see this earthly power struggle so often in daily life, and I'm reminded that the Spirit longs to empower me through discipline and trust, guiding me to freedom and Life.
Lastly, Wright writes "Without God's Spirit, there is nothing we can do that will count for God's Kingdom." Darrell follows that up with "Indeed, the kingdom is present only where Jesus Christ is King." Already, not-yet.
"At the start there was love
And life began in Him
Creation falls, Creator gives
The promise of a better day
We are not there yet
Let it come, let it come in
Love is here, Love is coming
Heaven is breaking open
Heaven is breaking open
Love came down and hope was found
Life began again
A brand new start
Yeah a brand new start
The promise of a better day
Love came down and hope was found
Now we’re waking up to a brighter day
Oh brighter day brighter day
Oh brighter day brighter day
Oh brighter day
We’ll see a brighter day" - Brighter Day by Gungor
Heaven is breaking open! Love is here. Love is coming. We have a victory we can stand in. We have a promise we can trust in. Already, not-yet.
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