J. Lee Grady
A popular female evangelist arrived at an airport and was escorted to the baggage claim area. After she retrieved her luggage she was taken to the passenger pickup lounge where she met her hosts from a local church, who planned to take her in a comfortable van to a nearby hotel so she could rest before speaking at an evening service.
The members of the welcoming team were not prepared for this woman's icy response to their greeting. When they opened the door to the van, she told them bluntly: "I will not ride in that." Then she stormed back into the airport with her entourage. After making inquiries, one of the church staff was informed by the woman's assistant that Her Highness must be transported in a certain type of vehicle.
The stated choices were a Bentley, a Mercedes-Benz or a Lincoln Town Car! Nevermind that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This regal woman of God insisted on arriving in luxury.
When I heard this story I didn't know whether to start a petition drive or just vomit on the spot. I was outraged, bewildered and nauseated.
For the last seven years I have given my life to help empower and release women leaders in the church. I have dedicated my life to ending gender discrimination-especially when it limits women's spiritual gifts and callings.
Yet when I hear of poor examples of women pastors and preachers, I must confess I fight discouragement. Yes, we need many more trained women church leaders-but we don't need any more bad examples!
In my travels I have observed all kinds of women leaders, some who are stellar role models and others who would do us all a favor if they pursued different careers. If you have aspirations to pursue leadership in ministry at any level, I pray you will avoid becoming like the ones I am about to describe.
1. THE DIVA To this woman, ministry is all about her. She is the star. Surely she started out with genuine passion for God, but today her message is not defined by her unseen prayer life but by what people see on stage. Greed and pride have deceptively lured her into compromise.
She knows how to move a crowd. There is obviously a strong anointing on her life, but it has been subtly fused with a carnal agenda. She can inspire people to success and wow them with her own accomplishments, but there is nothing in her sermon that brings true repentance or brokenness. Her message may be loud, and it can elicit shouts at the altar. But the people don't realize they've been drugged with a spiritual form of cocaine that triggers a religious high but can't bring them closer to Jesus.
The diva is known for her demands. Someone must carry her Bible, her water bottle, her purse and her cell phone. Those who ask her to preach in their church soon learn that she is "high maintenance." She will require the priciest hotel rooms and the biggest offerings-which she will collect with plenty of manipulative arm-twisting.
Her Christian values were once admirable. But the holy fire that burned in her heart a few years ago has been quenched by greed and an addiction to the crowd's approval. She stopped studying the Bible and now focuses more on what she plans to wear at her conferences. She stopped spending time in God's presence and began craving the glow of television lights.
The diva loves grand entrances. She comes into the meeting late and is whisked off the stage as soon as she has delivered her sermon. She doesn't associate with common folks or spend too much time praying for them. A strange atmosphere surrounds her: A mixture of the Holy Spirit's irrevocable gifting and a disturbing aura of self-importance. Only those who are discerning can recognize the difference.
2. THE CONTROL FREAK If you saw the movie The Devil Wears Prada you know the type of leader I am talking about. Unfortunately the main character of that film, the fearsome fashion publisher Miranda Priestly, has a few counterparts in the religious world.
Beware of this woman if she is in any church leadership position. She rules with an iron fist and leaves a trail of wounded bodies behind her. Somehow she missed the elementary Leadership 101 class, which teaches that every Christian leader must learn to serve. To her, authority is about dominating people.
This woman does not know how to delegate. She is not a team player. The control freak believes she knows all the answers, and therefore she must sign off on all decisions, no matter how petty. People line up outside her door night and day to get her approval, and anyone who needs an appointment is first advised to obtain a "weather report" on her shifting moods.
Somehow this woman never took care of her anger issues when she was a young Christian. Now that she has a position of power, no one is brave enough to challenge her ungodly behavior. She surrounds herself with yes-men and yes-women who dislike her authoritarianism but are too intimidated to admit that her ruthless temper is a sin.
The control freak has no peers and doesn't have a relational style. She may claim to have an older mentor (who usually lives in a distant city) but she doesn't open up her life to those who work with her. They are her subjects, and she demands obedience and long hours of work to prove loyalty. Her employees usually resign on a regular basis because of her harsh criticism and abusive words.
3. THE FLIRT I recently took a pastor friend of mine to a conference to hear a visiting woman preacher from another state. Imagine my horror when this lady walked to the podium wearing a dress that looked like it had been sprayed on.
Every curve and crevice on this woman's body was visible to the ogling eyes in the audience. Some of the guys, to their credit, began looking at the floor toward the end of her sermon so they would not commit adultery in their thoughts. I wanted to run to the podium, grab one of those "modesty cloths" they use during prayer times and wrap it around Sister Shapely before anyone else stumbled.
This woman obviously missed the memo about adopting a "professional and sensible dress code" for ministry. Or perhaps she simply ignored the memo because of her own unresolved sexual issues. Somebody should have yanked her off the platform and sent her back to the new believer's class, where godly women teach other women why it's wrong to use their femininity as a sexual weapon.
The flirt disregards sexual boundaries. She hangs around with men alone in the church office, and might even counsel men alone. She may even use sexually charged language or veiled vulgarity in her sermons. (Note: Just because male leaders engage in this behavior does not make it acceptable.)
Women in ministry do not have to wear their hair in a bun or don ankle-length flannel dresses in order to be modest. There's nothing wrong with looking your best. My favorite women leaders usually wear smart pantsuits, tasteful jewelry and comfortable shoes when they preach. They dress like respectable businesswomen-and they command respect from their churches because of it.
4. THE FLAKE God knows we need leaders today who understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But whenever there are revivals of Pentecostal power, the devil always lures some people to unbalanced and unhealthy extremes. In the modern charismatic movement, leaders who misuse the gifts of prophecy or other supernatural phenomena have deceived or irreparably wounded many people.
The flake may have had a legitimate experience with God, but because of pride she begins to believe that her gift is unique. She may even claim special access to God and have frequent visions or dreams that bolster her claims. These experiences might be from God. But if she does not stay grounded in biblical truth and seek accountability in healthy ministry relationships, she may elevate herself to a point where no one can challenge her revelations.
No one who steps out in the supernatural is going to get it right 100 percent of the time. We prophesy in part, and those who use the gift of prophecy are likely to "miss it" from time to time. But the flake will rarely admit to missing it. She will stubbornly contend that she heard from God, even if all the evidence proves otherwise.
It's bad enough when flakes are in the pews because they can cause divisive splits in congregations. But when a flake is elevated to a leadership position, an even bigger disaster looms. That person may veer into extrabiblical methods or outright heresy because she cannot receive correction.
The flake usually has serious unresolved emotional issues. She may be prone to depression, and she might seek unusual spiritual experiences to soothe her damaged emotions. She is always in superspiritual mode and rarely enjoys the normal routines of life. My advice to the flake: Come down to earth!
5. THE FEMINIST I don't believe all forms of feminism are wrong. In the early years of the 20th century, many brave Christian men and women worked tirelessly to win women the right to vote. Gender equality is a human right, and it is something that God set down in the first chapters of Genesis. Because both male and female are created in His image, we should work to correct the injustices of gender inequality and abuse.
But there is another more sinister form of feminism that has no support in Scripture. It is a bitter, vengeful attitude that places women against men, and often elevates women to a superior position. Sadly, this worldly spirit has invaded the church.
The feminist church leader has a man-hating spirit. She may be a gifted communicator, but if you listen closely you will hear the sound of a grinding axe when she speaks. She has not forgiven the men who hurt her in the past, and she intends to punish those men who get in her way today. Her unresolved issues are transferred to her audience. Her poison is injected into everyone who hears her.
She may claim that she believes in gender equality, but she will often surround herself only with women and refuses to put men in certain positions. Oftentimes the feminist has experienced at least one failed marriage and does not have any healthy relationships with men. Because she is unhealed, she cannot be an effective healer.
6. THE VICTIM This is the most pitiful of all the bad examples I've listed. She is guaranteed to make you feel sorry for her. And she might use a full box of Kleenex to help you understand her pain.
What the victim lacks in leadership skills she will make up for in sob stories.
Everyone is against her. She is suspicious of her own congregation. Other churches, she says, are maligning her. The devil, she insists, has targeted her ministry for destruction. Every trial that comes her way confirms that she is the focus of a demonic conspiracy.
Chaos surrounds this woman. Her ministry is always in turmoil. The victim moves from crisis to crisis, always anticipating another tragedy around the next corner. True joy has been replaced by a constant religious anxiety that repels people-thus making sure that her ministry will always be composed of a small "remnant" of people who have similar emotional baggage.
Of course if you suggest that this woman's misfortune might be the result of her negative outlook on life, she won't listen. That's because the victim has found a bizarre form of pleasure in her dysfunction. She's become quite comfortable at the center of her painful universe.
DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS
All these bad examples are in the church today-and each has her male counterpart. But I am not giving up in my resolve to see an army of gifted, trained women who will serve as pastors, missionaries, evangelists, CEOs, government leaders and social reformers. This is the hour for women to arise.
Instead of divas, we need humble women who are willing to serve even if they receive no public recognition. Instead of control freaks, we need leaders who wash the feet of their disciples and push them to greatness while modeling sacrifice. Instead of flirts, we need mature, dignified mothers of faith who have crucified their adolescent fantasies.
Rather than flakes who are tossed around by spiritual fads, we need discerning women who love biblical truth more than charismatic goose bumps. Rather than feminists, we need women who have resolved their issues with men and are willing to partner with them on equal footing. Rather than victims, we need women in ministry who are emotionally healthy.
Don't be discouraged if you see yourself in any of these negative examples. There is probably a little bit of diva in all of us! And all of us have resisted the urge to become control freaks.
If you are called to leadership, God will guide the preparation process-and He will bring mentors and positive role models in your life to challenge and encourage you. If you allow the Holy Spirit to shape your character, you may end up being the good example the church is waiting for.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Don't Get Stuck in Your Transition
By J. Lee Grady
When moving from point A to point B, we sometimes feel trapped in between. Trust God to guide you to your destination.
A few months ago I passed through the tiny community of Between, Ga. With a population of only 148, the place is not much to write home about. (And besides, it doesn't even have its own zip code). The town got its name because it's halfway between Atlanta and Athens, Ga. But as I passed the local convenience store I couldn't help but imagine the strange reactions I'd get if I lived there.
"Where are you from?"
"I live in Between."
"In between what?"
"In Between, Georgia."
"In between Georgia and what?"
"Oh never mind."
I doubt I'll ever move to that town, but the truth is that many of us are living "in between"—because we are in the midst of a major transition. Some of us know where we're going but we feel we're stuck halfway. Or we may sense God is moving us into a new spiritual assignment, yet the process of getting there is inching forward about as fast as a Siberian glacier.
I'm in the midst of my own big changes in career and ministry, and I've been struggling with all the emotions that accompany a major transition. I've battled doubts ("Did God really promise this?"), fears ("What if He doesn't provide?"), confusion ("Last week I was sure; this week I'm not so sure") and impatience ("OK, Lord, I need some answers NOW!").
"God gives us prophetic promises to literally pull us into our future. Declare them over your life, even when the darkness of discouragement is smothering you."
But as I navigate this journey, I'm discovering there are some things we can do to make the transition smoother.
1. Make sure you let go of the past. Sometimes we get stuck in spiritual limbo because we're holding on to memories, relationships or what is secure and comfortable. The unbelieving children of Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai for 40 years—and never completed their transition—because they were so homesick for Egypt. When Naomi felt called to return to Bethlehem, her daughter-in-law Orpah refused to go. She preferred what was culturally familiar. Leave nostalgia behind and embrace the new season.
2. Renounce your doubts. If we're not careful we can fall into the trap of double-mindedness. We say we want to go to our promised land, but we hesitate—and all such foot—dragging is doubt. We say we want to go forward, but we are like a moving car that has its parking brake engaged. Faith requires you to release the brake.
James warns the double-minded person: "For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:7, NASB). Doubt will stop you from shifting forward.
3. Welcome those God sends to help you. We're not supposed to make transitions on our own. God uses people to push us to the next level. The body of Christ has many members, and those who are gifted as prophets, intercessors, wise counselors and encouragers will always show up when you are in strategic moments of transition.
When Moses was weary of the battle and could barely find the strength to pray, God sent Aaron and Hur to lift up his arms (see Ex. 17:12). When Hezekiah was overwhelmed by the threat of Sennacherib's armies, Isaiah brought a word from the Lord that ignited faith for a miraculous victory (see 2 Kings 19). When Mary was perplexed by the daunting task of carrying the Messiah in her womb, Elizabeth released a prophetic blessing over her (see Luke 1:41-45).
Intercessors who are empowered by the Holy Spirit are like spiritual midwives who help us birth God's promise when we don't have the strength to deliver. Spiritual transition is a painful process, but certain people have an unusual grace from God to travail with us. Allow them to pray for you and speak into your situation.
4. Contend for your promise. Transition is a vulnerable time—and it requires spiritual warfare. The enemy is a thief and he wants to rob us of our inheritance. He does not want us to move forward in God, take new territory, assume new authority or advance into our spiritual callings. Satan is also an abortionist—he wants to devour your promise before it is born.
This is why we must wield God's promise as a weapon against our enemy. Paul wrote: "This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight" (1 Tim. 1:18). God gives us prophetic promises to literally pull us into our future. Declare them over your life, even when the darkness of discouragement is smothering you. God's Word will break satanic resistance.
5. Stay close to the Shepherd. Over the past month four people have given me the same promise from Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." It's comforting to know that the good Shepherd takes such special, up-close-and—personal care of us—especially during vulnerable times of transition when we don't know which way to turn.
Be assured that He knows your destination-and He is committed to guiding you, even if you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get there. He will not leave you in the land of Between. With His rod and staff He will usher you into your promised territory.
When moving from point A to point B, we sometimes feel trapped in between. Trust God to guide you to your destination.
A few months ago I passed through the tiny community of Between, Ga. With a population of only 148, the place is not much to write home about. (And besides, it doesn't even have its own zip code). The town got its name because it's halfway between Atlanta and Athens, Ga. But as I passed the local convenience store I couldn't help but imagine the strange reactions I'd get if I lived there.
"Where are you from?"
"I live in Between."
"In between what?"
"In Between, Georgia."
"In between Georgia and what?"
"Oh never mind."
I doubt I'll ever move to that town, but the truth is that many of us are living "in between"—because we are in the midst of a major transition. Some of us know where we're going but we feel we're stuck halfway. Or we may sense God is moving us into a new spiritual assignment, yet the process of getting there is inching forward about as fast as a Siberian glacier.
I'm in the midst of my own big changes in career and ministry, and I've been struggling with all the emotions that accompany a major transition. I've battled doubts ("Did God really promise this?"), fears ("What if He doesn't provide?"), confusion ("Last week I was sure; this week I'm not so sure") and impatience ("OK, Lord, I need some answers NOW!").
"God gives us prophetic promises to literally pull us into our future. Declare them over your life, even when the darkness of discouragement is smothering you."
But as I navigate this journey, I'm discovering there are some things we can do to make the transition smoother.
1. Make sure you let go of the past. Sometimes we get stuck in spiritual limbo because we're holding on to memories, relationships or what is secure and comfortable. The unbelieving children of Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai for 40 years—and never completed their transition—because they were so homesick for Egypt. When Naomi felt called to return to Bethlehem, her daughter-in-law Orpah refused to go. She preferred what was culturally familiar. Leave nostalgia behind and embrace the new season.
2. Renounce your doubts. If we're not careful we can fall into the trap of double-mindedness. We say we want to go to our promised land, but we hesitate—and all such foot—dragging is doubt. We say we want to go forward, but we are like a moving car that has its parking brake engaged. Faith requires you to release the brake.
James warns the double-minded person: "For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:7, NASB). Doubt will stop you from shifting forward.
3. Welcome those God sends to help you. We're not supposed to make transitions on our own. God uses people to push us to the next level. The body of Christ has many members, and those who are gifted as prophets, intercessors, wise counselors and encouragers will always show up when you are in strategic moments of transition.
When Moses was weary of the battle and could barely find the strength to pray, God sent Aaron and Hur to lift up his arms (see Ex. 17:12). When Hezekiah was overwhelmed by the threat of Sennacherib's armies, Isaiah brought a word from the Lord that ignited faith for a miraculous victory (see 2 Kings 19). When Mary was perplexed by the daunting task of carrying the Messiah in her womb, Elizabeth released a prophetic blessing over her (see Luke 1:41-45).
Intercessors who are empowered by the Holy Spirit are like spiritual midwives who help us birth God's promise when we don't have the strength to deliver. Spiritual transition is a painful process, but certain people have an unusual grace from God to travail with us. Allow them to pray for you and speak into your situation.
4. Contend for your promise. Transition is a vulnerable time—and it requires spiritual warfare. The enemy is a thief and he wants to rob us of our inheritance. He does not want us to move forward in God, take new territory, assume new authority or advance into our spiritual callings. Satan is also an abortionist—he wants to devour your promise before it is born.
This is why we must wield God's promise as a weapon against our enemy. Paul wrote: "This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight" (1 Tim. 1:18). God gives us prophetic promises to literally pull us into our future. Declare them over your life, even when the darkness of discouragement is smothering you. God's Word will break satanic resistance.
5. Stay close to the Shepherd. Over the past month four people have given me the same promise from Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." It's comforting to know that the good Shepherd takes such special, up-close-and—personal care of us—especially during vulnerable times of transition when we don't know which way to turn.
Be assured that He knows your destination-and He is committed to guiding you, even if you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get there. He will not leave you in the land of Between. With His rod and staff He will usher you into your promised territory.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Satisfaction: A Reflection
By Andrew Beel
Proverbs 5:18-20
Pr 5:18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
Pr 5:19 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Pr 5:20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” It could well be the anthem of this generation as it sums up the never satiated hunger for something more.
The other day I was praying for a friend and I sensed the Lord reminding me of two Words he had powerfully spoken to me one morning. The first was in the early hours of the morning when I was half asleep and had no ability to resist the voice of his Spirit. He simply said, “Andrew, the greatest gift you have to give to people is yourself.” Later that morning as I was having a prayer time and I was contemplating the meaning of this Word, again I sensed the Spirit saying, “Andrew, all I want of you is to be present to yourself, present to others and present to me.” Obviously God was simply speaking in my language the Two Great Commandments of loving God and loving others as we love ourselves. These Words were spoken to me some eight or so years ago and I have sought to re-arrange the trajectory of my life accordingly. But again, even as I was speaking these words to my friend I felt the Spirit seeking to remind me that I too needed yet again to bring my life into further re-alignment with these Words.
The next day at a time of prayer and Bible study with my wife and another friend, during our time of prayer I found myself looking at my mobile phone and thinking to myself, “It won’t be long and my contract will be up and I can get a new phone.” I began to think of what features I might desire in this new phone, even though my present phone does everything I could possibly want and more. I then began to think to myself, “Why on earth would I even want a new phone when my present phone does everything I need? This is simply madness.”
The week before at the bar when I was with krishna, I had been too tired to really offer him my full attention and he had noticed. He had asked me at the time what was wrong and then later sent me a text message enquiring whether or not he had said or done something to offend me. As I thought about this I realised that I had failed to be present to krishna and I began to ask myself why. As I became more present to myself I realised that part of the reason why I was tired was yet again I had allowed myself to fall into the all too easy “Messiah Complex” that is my natural default mode and I had willingly sought to take on board issues and concerns of others that were not my responsibility. Yes, it was okay to listen as people shared their struggles, fears and hang ups but it wasn’t my job to save them. Secondly, I had found myself losing sight of the inherent uniqueness of Krishna and instead of being concerned with treating him with the dignity of being made in God’s image, I had begun to think of how slow his response to the Gospel had been so far and maybe that there might be others out there that I could be spending time with who will respond more quickly and therefore enhance my reputation as a missionary.
So what has this got to do with satisfaction?
Over the last few weeks I have also been deeply aware of the lack of satisfaction in the lives of so many I talk with. I have spoken to people who struggle to love their spouses. One man is convinced he would be happy if his wife had a different hair colour. Many others I speak to all have different reasons why their spouses are just not good enough or suitable enough. Some of their reasons are not as trivial as the first mentioned man, but nonetheless, it would seem that deep down they are not convinced that God has given them a good gift as the Bible states, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favour from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22
Then there are others who feel deeply dissatisfied because the job they have or the work they do isn’t producing enough money or doesn’t garner enough recognition from others. Certainly I know in my own journey, I was hoping successful Christian ministry was going to be my ticket to recognition and fulfilment. And then there are others who I meet and listen to who are convinced that when God heals a certain area of their life, be it emotional or physical then at last they will be satisfied or happy. And so they chase after this counsellor, healer, programme, book and anyone or anything that might somehow provide relief from the itch that refuses scratching.
But this is where there is such a brilliance in God’s Word to me. His Word to me challenged the very basis and motivation of what I was doing and what I was seeking. As Jesus made clear to the Samaritan woman, “All who drink from this well will still get thirsty.” I remember quite clearly when ministry for me seemed the most powerful and successful, even when the Holy Spirit was manifesting in healings and salvations in services I was leading and yet I would still be feeling empty and dissatisfied inside. Even when all that I had sought and strived for had seemingly started to materialise, satisfaction somehow was eluding me.
Again, this Word from God turns things upside down. Instead of discovering what I was looking for beyond where I was or in some person, dream or hope in the future. God was telling me quite clearly that everything I need and desire is with me and within me now. I won’t find some deeper level of fulfilment or satisfaction in some successful future ministry or when I gain a touch more healing in my life. I won’t find it in some new material acquisition or person, no matter how exciting and charismatic they might seem. No, the God who is with me and for me, who works all things together for my good offers me the fullness of himself in every situation he brings me into and in every person he draws across my path. The God who gave himself so fully in Jesus, who offered his very life in order that I might have life, calls me to offer myself fully even for those who may never respond simply because they are made in his image and are objects of his love.
Surely it is enough to simply love God and love those who he brings to us? Surely if we are failing to love then everything else we are striving for, Christian or otherwise is meaningless?
One of the blessings of living without a regular income is that my chasing of material things has become severely hampered. I have been forced to learn contentment in the times when I don’t have the power to acquire what I would have thoughtlessly acquired before. Another blessing of not having a regular job is that it has also forced me to seriously consider how I spend my time particularly with my wife and children. They too are deserving of my presence and I am needy of theirs.
Recently as I have been contemplating my ‘inverted parenting’ and my messianic pretensions, some of which simply flows out of family of origin and oldest son stuff, I have become aware that not only am I very good at sorting everybody else out (Even recently, my wife has had to tell me on at least two occasions not to parent her as I have tried to make sure she gets up in time to get the children’s lunches ready for school) but on the flip side, I am not very good at allowing others to help me carry my burdens. It took me a lot of effort to tell my wife I needed more of her time and presence. She readily received my request, but I struggled to acknowledge and own my own neediness.
To be present in the way God is calling me to be present is truly a learning to trust fully in him. It is the ability to accept the life he has given me along with all that it contains both good and bad. As Job responded in worship to God after disaster upon disaster had befallen him, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” To be present to others is a call to trust God fully in their lives, responding as he leads. This means that whilst it is always right to pray for and with them, bringing their concerns to God and expecting him to respond and answer, I also need to trust God to do what is best for them even when it doesn’t seems as they or I would choose.
To be present to God means that I don’t need to be concerned with tomorrow. As Jesus says, “Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” To be truly present to God means that I can indeed thank him in all circumstances knowing that he is indeed working all things together for my good. If God is for us, who or what can be against us? Surely this fact alone is enough to quieten our anxious hearts.
1Th 5:16 Rejoice always, 1Th 5:17 pray continually, 1Th 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jesus made it clear that seeking God’s Kingdom first and His righteousness is enough. He also made it clear that loving God and others is all that he requires. If we can only quieten or dismiss the many other voices of demand and expectation in our overloaded brains imagine how deeply satisfied most of us might be. Imagine how differently we might arrange our time. Imagine how different our relationships might be both with those closest to us and those we only encounter briefly. Imagine how we might be impacted if others treated us as bearers of God’s image rather than a means to their own success, spiritual or otherwise.
I have a dear friend who suffers considerably with depression. He has been given a significant time off work by his doctor as a result. Despite the difficulty of his condition he is convinced he is exactly in the place where God wants him. My friend, despite his depression, has found satisfaction and what Jesus would call peace. God may one day heal my friend of his depression and we all pray that this takes place. But like Betsy ten Boom in the Nazi concentration camp, he is convinced that the lessons he is learning concerning God’s faithfulness and love, that no pit is so deep that God’s love isn’t still deeper, is worth even the cost of depression. I suspect that there are many people in our churches that are missing such discoveries because of their striving for success, healing, prosperity, influence and the like. Instead of learning as Mary did that sitting at Jesus’ feet is enough, like Martha, they are desperately working to gain the favour and recognition of others and even of God, something they already have.
Proverbs 5:18-20
Pr 5:18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
Pr 5:19 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Pr 5:20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” It could well be the anthem of this generation as it sums up the never satiated hunger for something more.
The other day I was praying for a friend and I sensed the Lord reminding me of two Words he had powerfully spoken to me one morning. The first was in the early hours of the morning when I was half asleep and had no ability to resist the voice of his Spirit. He simply said, “Andrew, the greatest gift you have to give to people is yourself.” Later that morning as I was having a prayer time and I was contemplating the meaning of this Word, again I sensed the Spirit saying, “Andrew, all I want of you is to be present to yourself, present to others and present to me.” Obviously God was simply speaking in my language the Two Great Commandments of loving God and loving others as we love ourselves. These Words were spoken to me some eight or so years ago and I have sought to re-arrange the trajectory of my life accordingly. But again, even as I was speaking these words to my friend I felt the Spirit seeking to remind me that I too needed yet again to bring my life into further re-alignment with these Words.
The next day at a time of prayer and Bible study with my wife and another friend, during our time of prayer I found myself looking at my mobile phone and thinking to myself, “It won’t be long and my contract will be up and I can get a new phone.” I began to think of what features I might desire in this new phone, even though my present phone does everything I could possibly want and more. I then began to think to myself, “Why on earth would I even want a new phone when my present phone does everything I need? This is simply madness.”
The week before at the bar when I was with krishna, I had been too tired to really offer him my full attention and he had noticed. He had asked me at the time what was wrong and then later sent me a text message enquiring whether or not he had said or done something to offend me. As I thought about this I realised that I had failed to be present to krishna and I began to ask myself why. As I became more present to myself I realised that part of the reason why I was tired was yet again I had allowed myself to fall into the all too easy “Messiah Complex” that is my natural default mode and I had willingly sought to take on board issues and concerns of others that were not my responsibility. Yes, it was okay to listen as people shared their struggles, fears and hang ups but it wasn’t my job to save them. Secondly, I had found myself losing sight of the inherent uniqueness of Krishna and instead of being concerned with treating him with the dignity of being made in God’s image, I had begun to think of how slow his response to the Gospel had been so far and maybe that there might be others out there that I could be spending time with who will respond more quickly and therefore enhance my reputation as a missionary.
So what has this got to do with satisfaction?
Over the last few weeks I have also been deeply aware of the lack of satisfaction in the lives of so many I talk with. I have spoken to people who struggle to love their spouses. One man is convinced he would be happy if his wife had a different hair colour. Many others I speak to all have different reasons why their spouses are just not good enough or suitable enough. Some of their reasons are not as trivial as the first mentioned man, but nonetheless, it would seem that deep down they are not convinced that God has given them a good gift as the Bible states, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favour from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22
Then there are others who feel deeply dissatisfied because the job they have or the work they do isn’t producing enough money or doesn’t garner enough recognition from others. Certainly I know in my own journey, I was hoping successful Christian ministry was going to be my ticket to recognition and fulfilment. And then there are others who I meet and listen to who are convinced that when God heals a certain area of their life, be it emotional or physical then at last they will be satisfied or happy. And so they chase after this counsellor, healer, programme, book and anyone or anything that might somehow provide relief from the itch that refuses scratching.
But this is where there is such a brilliance in God’s Word to me. His Word to me challenged the very basis and motivation of what I was doing and what I was seeking. As Jesus made clear to the Samaritan woman, “All who drink from this well will still get thirsty.” I remember quite clearly when ministry for me seemed the most powerful and successful, even when the Holy Spirit was manifesting in healings and salvations in services I was leading and yet I would still be feeling empty and dissatisfied inside. Even when all that I had sought and strived for had seemingly started to materialise, satisfaction somehow was eluding me.
Again, this Word from God turns things upside down. Instead of discovering what I was looking for beyond where I was or in some person, dream or hope in the future. God was telling me quite clearly that everything I need and desire is with me and within me now. I won’t find some deeper level of fulfilment or satisfaction in some successful future ministry or when I gain a touch more healing in my life. I won’t find it in some new material acquisition or person, no matter how exciting and charismatic they might seem. No, the God who is with me and for me, who works all things together for my good offers me the fullness of himself in every situation he brings me into and in every person he draws across my path. The God who gave himself so fully in Jesus, who offered his very life in order that I might have life, calls me to offer myself fully even for those who may never respond simply because they are made in his image and are objects of his love.
Surely it is enough to simply love God and love those who he brings to us? Surely if we are failing to love then everything else we are striving for, Christian or otherwise is meaningless?
One of the blessings of living without a regular income is that my chasing of material things has become severely hampered. I have been forced to learn contentment in the times when I don’t have the power to acquire what I would have thoughtlessly acquired before. Another blessing of not having a regular job is that it has also forced me to seriously consider how I spend my time particularly with my wife and children. They too are deserving of my presence and I am needy of theirs.
Recently as I have been contemplating my ‘inverted parenting’ and my messianic pretensions, some of which simply flows out of family of origin and oldest son stuff, I have become aware that not only am I very good at sorting everybody else out (Even recently, my wife has had to tell me on at least two occasions not to parent her as I have tried to make sure she gets up in time to get the children’s lunches ready for school) but on the flip side, I am not very good at allowing others to help me carry my burdens. It took me a lot of effort to tell my wife I needed more of her time and presence. She readily received my request, but I struggled to acknowledge and own my own neediness.
To be present in the way God is calling me to be present is truly a learning to trust fully in him. It is the ability to accept the life he has given me along with all that it contains both good and bad. As Job responded in worship to God after disaster upon disaster had befallen him, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” To be present to others is a call to trust God fully in their lives, responding as he leads. This means that whilst it is always right to pray for and with them, bringing their concerns to God and expecting him to respond and answer, I also need to trust God to do what is best for them even when it doesn’t seems as they or I would choose.
To be present to God means that I don’t need to be concerned with tomorrow. As Jesus says, “Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” To be truly present to God means that I can indeed thank him in all circumstances knowing that he is indeed working all things together for my good. If God is for us, who or what can be against us? Surely this fact alone is enough to quieten our anxious hearts.
1Th 5:16 Rejoice always, 1Th 5:17 pray continually, 1Th 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jesus made it clear that seeking God’s Kingdom first and His righteousness is enough. He also made it clear that loving God and others is all that he requires. If we can only quieten or dismiss the many other voices of demand and expectation in our overloaded brains imagine how deeply satisfied most of us might be. Imagine how differently we might arrange our time. Imagine how different our relationships might be both with those closest to us and those we only encounter briefly. Imagine how we might be impacted if others treated us as bearers of God’s image rather than a means to their own success, spiritual or otherwise.
I have a dear friend who suffers considerably with depression. He has been given a significant time off work by his doctor as a result. Despite the difficulty of his condition he is convinced he is exactly in the place where God wants him. My friend, despite his depression, has found satisfaction and what Jesus would call peace. God may one day heal my friend of his depression and we all pray that this takes place. But like Betsy ten Boom in the Nazi concentration camp, he is convinced that the lessons he is learning concerning God’s faithfulness and love, that no pit is so deep that God’s love isn’t still deeper, is worth even the cost of depression. I suspect that there are many people in our churches that are missing such discoveries because of their striving for success, healing, prosperity, influence and the like. Instead of learning as Mary did that sitting at Jesus’ feet is enough, like Martha, they are desperately working to gain the favour and recognition of others and even of God, something they already have.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Intimacy with God
By Dr John Yates
1. Initial Impressions
What first comes into a person’s mind when they hear the expression, “Intimacy with God?
Subjectivity usually predominates. Outside of very biblically informed believers, and perhaps some “marketplace Christianity groups”, we would expect an experiential/pietistic answer.
The contemporary spirituality of wider Western culture is very comfortable with the idea of an inward relationship with God, but rejects the distinguishing features of biblical religion .
2. Friends of the King
Whilst it is not illegitimate to speak of intimacy with God , the fact that “intimacy” is not a biblical word cautions us not to begin with assumptions based on this term but to seek appropriate biblical terminology. In preparing this study two terms came to the fore, friendship and knowledge.
Classically, the mission of Christ has been summarised in terms of his three roles of prophet, priest and king . Throughout the Bible these three offices are central to theocratic government. In 1 Kings 4:5 and 1 Chronicles 27:33, for example, we encounter a position titled, “friend of the king”, this person was a confidential advisor with whom the monarch shared his mind and heart concerning all the matters of the kingdom. Such a close acquaintance prefigures the manner in which Jesus related to his inner circle of disciples.
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15). Jesus has held nothing back of all that the Father has shared with him about the rule of God through his life. In other words, the disciples are confidantes of the King in relation to the kingdom of God. The process of “making known” is vital to friendship, and is no mere intellectual matter. The following scripture is one of the highest Christological statements in the Synoptic Gospels.
“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matt 11:25-27)
The Father and Son know each other’s identity by a mutually interpenetrating innermost trust, insight and understanding of character. The emphasis is on Father-Son mutual knowledge, not something that precedes it . The Son knows the Father not in some subjective or mystical sense, but in the midst of/through the array of “all things” that have been “handed over” to him by the Father. This “handing over” involves the rule of God. Likewise, where God takes sovereign initiative in revelation, showing the things he shared with Christ to his people, this contains within it a share in his sovereign rule over everything.
The all encompassing language of “knowing” find expression at many levels, e.g. as a definition of eternal life, “you (Father) have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:2-3)
Part of the mystery of the gospel, which is an essential aspect of the larger context of Jesus’ discourse, is that “all things” are ultimately handed over to him by his being “delivered over” to death e.g. Matt 20:18; 26:2; 27:2.
3. The Divine Council
Returning to the Old Testament imagery, a friend of the king is part of his council. This was a privilege that the prophets shared in their relationship with God. True prophets stand in “the divine council” (Jer 23:22) . This is presented in an exhaustive way, ““For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7). Through Jesus, this inestimable privilege has been raised to a higher level and fulfilled in the relationship between the Lord and Christians .
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3), this blessing is not some mere state of feeling, blessing relates to dominion, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over” (Gen 1:28). The goal of the entire rule that God shares with us is the “plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him (Christ), things in heaven and things on earth.” (Eph 1:10 )
Similarly, the exalted state of the believer, “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6) relates to ruling. As seated with Christ, who is at the right hand of God, we have fellowship with him in his kingly rule. This is intimately related to the Great Commission “All authority in heaven and earth...go therefore....” (Matt 28:18 ff.)
“Intimacy” therefore means the participation believers have with God in the decisions he is making and enacting from heaven with respect to his kingdom coming on earth (Matt 6:9-10).
4. Entering into this
Communion with the King in the matters of the kingdom can only come by revelation knowledge. Jesus said, “If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” (John 7:17). The “knowing” of which Jesus speaks is “to know” by acquaintance . It is to “know” that the Son has been given authority to speak (= to work) from the Father. It is to actually know (even if in part) what Jesus knows. It is to have insight into the immeasurably excellence of the Father-Son relationship in the Spirit, and that we are given a part in it! This is to be overwhelmed by the wisdom of God (cf. Matt 11:25) .
The following principle applies, “A revelation of the wisdom of God in the works of God will always lead to a willingness to work with God.” This is simply an outworking of Paul’s command, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2). Wherever God’s will is “seen” to be “good and acceptable and perfect” men and women will delight in being a part of it. This will necessarily draw them into a form of spirituality that mirrors that of the incarnate Lord.
Since God is wholly present in his willing , the awareness of a distance between ourselves and God indicates resistance to his will. The divine indwelling intensifies as we increasingly submit to the will of the Father .
A testimony: my own transition from a “successful” ministry to a “prayerful” ministry, from “effectiveness” to “depth”. The command of the Lord was to pray constantly in all things . “It is the life which prays” (Andrew Murray)
This involves adopting something similar to what various marketplace ministries call the “Daniel lifestyle”. Not a technique/method but a way of life that breaks Babylonian (worldly/demonic) powers through intentional fasting and prayer three times a day (Dan 1:8-11; 6:10)
5. Why is this not our usual experience?
If the essence of “intimacy with God” involves rule, so does the resistance to entering into this state, people hate “being ruled” , Australians perhaps more so than anyone.
Generally, human beings resist the overtures of the Holy Spirit because they want to maintain control of their own lives . There is in the human heart a deeply held fear of losing, not the kingdom of God, but one’s own kingdom.
Living in communion with God displaces such fears , because it brings a revelation of inheritance. There is no kingdom to be gained, only one to be received. “Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.” (Matt 17:25-26)
The kingdom belongs to the sons of the King and we have been planted in the world to receive it, “The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.” (Matt 13:38). The “sons of the kingdom” are insiders at every possible level of God’s action in the universe; we are given insight into his plan, participation in the exercise of his will and the fruit of the inheritance of his rule . That God (the Father) is someone who totally shares everything with his sons is the witness of the Spirit .
Such a revelation however is deeply resisted, because the inheritance only comes through the way of the cross, “if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom 8:17). This is the foundational reason why “intimacy with God”, as expounded in this paper, is so rare.
6. Summary and Application
a. Intimacy is not limited to what some would call “spiritual realities”, but concerns “all things”.
b. It involves listening to God in everything, not simply about everything.
c. This requires centring/awareness to the presence of Christ in everything. This involves submission to the Lordship of Jesus within the three conversations that are continuously going on – my own thoughts, the thoughts/words of others, and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
d. Discipline in the above demands a consistent prayerful/Daniel lifestyle.
e. This requires obeying the Lord, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (
1. Initial Impressions
What first comes into a person’s mind when they hear the expression, “Intimacy with God?
Subjectivity usually predominates. Outside of very biblically informed believers, and perhaps some “marketplace Christianity groups”, we would expect an experiential/pietistic answer.
The contemporary spirituality of wider Western culture is very comfortable with the idea of an inward relationship with God, but rejects the distinguishing features of biblical religion .
2. Friends of the King
Whilst it is not illegitimate to speak of intimacy with God , the fact that “intimacy” is not a biblical word cautions us not to begin with assumptions based on this term but to seek appropriate biblical terminology. In preparing this study two terms came to the fore, friendship and knowledge.
Classically, the mission of Christ has been summarised in terms of his three roles of prophet, priest and king . Throughout the Bible these three offices are central to theocratic government. In 1 Kings 4:5 and 1 Chronicles 27:33, for example, we encounter a position titled, “friend of the king”, this person was a confidential advisor with whom the monarch shared his mind and heart concerning all the matters of the kingdom. Such a close acquaintance prefigures the manner in which Jesus related to his inner circle of disciples.
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15). Jesus has held nothing back of all that the Father has shared with him about the rule of God through his life. In other words, the disciples are confidantes of the King in relation to the kingdom of God. The process of “making known” is vital to friendship, and is no mere intellectual matter. The following scripture is one of the highest Christological statements in the Synoptic Gospels.
“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matt 11:25-27)
The Father and Son know each other’s identity by a mutually interpenetrating innermost trust, insight and understanding of character. The emphasis is on Father-Son mutual knowledge, not something that precedes it . The Son knows the Father not in some subjective or mystical sense, but in the midst of/through the array of “all things” that have been “handed over” to him by the Father. This “handing over” involves the rule of God. Likewise, where God takes sovereign initiative in revelation, showing the things he shared with Christ to his people, this contains within it a share in his sovereign rule over everything.
The all encompassing language of “knowing” find expression at many levels, e.g. as a definition of eternal life, “you (Father) have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:2-3)
Part of the mystery of the gospel, which is an essential aspect of the larger context of Jesus’ discourse, is that “all things” are ultimately handed over to him by his being “delivered over” to death e.g. Matt 20:18; 26:2; 27:2.
3. The Divine Council
Returning to the Old Testament imagery, a friend of the king is part of his council. This was a privilege that the prophets shared in their relationship with God. True prophets stand in “the divine council” (Jer 23:22) . This is presented in an exhaustive way, ““For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7). Through Jesus, this inestimable privilege has been raised to a higher level and fulfilled in the relationship between the Lord and Christians .
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3), this blessing is not some mere state of feeling, blessing relates to dominion, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over” (Gen 1:28). The goal of the entire rule that God shares with us is the “plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him (Christ), things in heaven and things on earth.” (Eph 1:10 )
Similarly, the exalted state of the believer, “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6) relates to ruling. As seated with Christ, who is at the right hand of God, we have fellowship with him in his kingly rule. This is intimately related to the Great Commission “All authority in heaven and earth...go therefore....” (Matt 28:18 ff.)
“Intimacy” therefore means the participation believers have with God in the decisions he is making and enacting from heaven with respect to his kingdom coming on earth (Matt 6:9-10).
4. Entering into this
Communion with the King in the matters of the kingdom can only come by revelation knowledge. Jesus said, “If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” (John 7:17). The “knowing” of which Jesus speaks is “to know” by acquaintance . It is to “know” that the Son has been given authority to speak (= to work) from the Father. It is to actually know (even if in part) what Jesus knows. It is to have insight into the immeasurably excellence of the Father-Son relationship in the Spirit, and that we are given a part in it! This is to be overwhelmed by the wisdom of God (cf. Matt 11:25) .
The following principle applies, “A revelation of the wisdom of God in the works of God will always lead to a willingness to work with God.” This is simply an outworking of Paul’s command, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2). Wherever God’s will is “seen” to be “good and acceptable and perfect” men and women will delight in being a part of it. This will necessarily draw them into a form of spirituality that mirrors that of the incarnate Lord.
Since God is wholly present in his willing , the awareness of a distance between ourselves and God indicates resistance to his will. The divine indwelling intensifies as we increasingly submit to the will of the Father .
A testimony: my own transition from a “successful” ministry to a “prayerful” ministry, from “effectiveness” to “depth”. The command of the Lord was to pray constantly in all things . “It is the life which prays” (Andrew Murray)
This involves adopting something similar to what various marketplace ministries call the “Daniel lifestyle”. Not a technique/method but a way of life that breaks Babylonian (worldly/demonic) powers through intentional fasting and prayer three times a day (Dan 1:8-11; 6:10)
5. Why is this not our usual experience?
If the essence of “intimacy with God” involves rule, so does the resistance to entering into this state, people hate “being ruled” , Australians perhaps more so than anyone.
Generally, human beings resist the overtures of the Holy Spirit because they want to maintain control of their own lives . There is in the human heart a deeply held fear of losing, not the kingdom of God, but one’s own kingdom.
Living in communion with God displaces such fears , because it brings a revelation of inheritance. There is no kingdom to be gained, only one to be received. “Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.” (Matt 17:25-26)
The kingdom belongs to the sons of the King and we have been planted in the world to receive it, “The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.” (Matt 13:38). The “sons of the kingdom” are insiders at every possible level of God’s action in the universe; we are given insight into his plan, participation in the exercise of his will and the fruit of the inheritance of his rule . That God (the Father) is someone who totally shares everything with his sons is the witness of the Spirit .
Such a revelation however is deeply resisted, because the inheritance only comes through the way of the cross, “if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom 8:17). This is the foundational reason why “intimacy with God”, as expounded in this paper, is so rare.
6. Summary and Application
a. Intimacy is not limited to what some would call “spiritual realities”, but concerns “all things”.
b. It involves listening to God in everything, not simply about everything.
c. This requires centring/awareness to the presence of Christ in everything. This involves submission to the Lordship of Jesus within the three conversations that are continuously going on – my own thoughts, the thoughts/words of others, and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
d. Discipline in the above demands a consistent prayerful/Daniel lifestyle.
e. This requires obeying the Lord, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Transitioning to a New Order in God
By Noel Woodroffe
This article seeks to provide a basis for understanding the process that is taking place in the global church today. All across the earth it has become very clear that there is a powerful and fundamental move of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The apostles and prophets that are being raised up by God in this hour are declaring new concepts. The message is being taken into the depths of the local churches by the pastors, evangelists and teachers who are coming into understanding and partnership with the Move of God. In many places uncertainty and even confusion has gripped the hearts and minds of many as they find that their accustomed places in the Spirit are being shaken as never before. But more than this, there is real desire in many ministries across the spiritual jurisdictions of the Body of Christ to hear, understand and receive the impartation that is flowing from heaven in increasing measure each day. One of the major problems for many leaders of ministries is the demand for transition that comes upon them, if they have to fully come into agreement with what the Spirit of God is releasing today. In this article I will lay down some basic and foundational principles that will assist progressive ministries to transition from their former spiritual emplacements to fresh and more vigorous positions in the Spirit.
Migration is a Core reality of the Church Experience
One of the central and most powerful prophetic metaphors used in the Word of God to describe core aspects of the Church experience is the picture of the journey or migration. The ancient Israelites were used by God as a national group to capture, describe and demonstrate many of the spiritual principles that operate with full power in the Body of Christ today (1 Corinthians 10:11).
The basic foundation upon which God developed all of the great transformational experiences that shaped them as a people was the foundation of the journey from bondage in Egypt to freedom in the land of Canaan. It was a process from limitation and slavery to identity and conquering. The key activating factor for the march across the wilderness was the requirement to follow the cloud of God (Numbers 9: 17 . 23). Transitioning or following the cloud of God to a new location was not a matter of choice or opinion. It was a matter of obedience. There was no other way to survive the wilderness journey. When the cloud moved, all the people moved with it.
The journey was not only geographical, moving them from one physical location to another. It was also a spiritual journey. As they traveled they came to understand more of God and His ways. They came to know His covenant ways but they also came to recognize their own identity and national structure. They left Egypt as a confused band of slaves but arrived at the border of the Land of Canaan as an organized nation and a mighty army. These are powerful spiritual principles for the Church as our cloud is moving today in a fresh advance of the Spirit. As we travel we are coming into recognition of our 'nation' structure in a new understanding of the power and authority of the Kingdom. We are being made in to a mighty spiritual army as we come into an explosive understanding of government and divine order in the Church.
Whenever we use the term: 'a move of God' we are basically saying that the Spirit of God has moved to new positions and we are being called to identify these new positions and move towards them. Even today the people of God are called to journey and migration. Therefore we can say that the history of the Church is a record of the sequence of the 'moves of God' within the Body of Christ throughout time.
What is a Movement?
A movement or a 'move of God' is built upon the core reality that the Church has realized that the Spirit of God is operating in a more advanced and different way and is calling the Church forward to new positions in the Spirit. The key factor to understand is that a . Move of God. Requires US to MOVE. It is not that the Spirit is ministering to us with a different manifestation as we remain in the same old place. When there is a 'move of God' the Church MUST move!
We can identify several general characteristics of a new move of God occurring in the Church. Of course this is not a complete and total list but will serve in this article to provide a basis for understanding what God requires of us in the midst of a move of God.
New Mentality:
Just as a computer has an operating system that determines how effectively the software that installed upon it works, so does the basic operating mentality of the Church determine how effectively we serve the Lord in our current era and do the exploits of the Kingdom in our day. In our case the 'software' would be all the activities, programs, ministry exploits, corporate behavior and actions that make up the active life of the Church. The operating system represents the prevailing concept of Christ, our perspective of what is effective Christianity in the 21st century, our belief system, our attitude to the world around us that is shaped by our doctrine and our understanding of our identity in the midst of surrounding conditions and circumstances.
If we believe that we are a weak and desperate people simply waiting to escape to heaven then we will not conceive of purposes that cause us to impact nations. If our perspective of Satan is that he is mighty, powerful and a main problem for us then we will not enter into the realm of overcoming spiritual warfare. If our concept of the Kingdom is only what Jesus can do FOR us then we will have no passion within us to accomplish HIS purposes in the earth. Spiritual mentality determines spiritual position and spiritual attitude.
In every move of God the mentality of the Church is moved and adjusted towards a more accurate biblical position.
Changing Structures and Patterns in the Church:
In every move of God the structures and patterns of the Church change. The term 'structures' involve many aspects of Church life and activity. The nature of our prayer changes from constant requests for survival to powerful declaration of our intention to overcome and finish the work of the Lord. We call this 'Governmental Prayer’. The nature of relationships between saints in the Kingdom changes as we move to purer positions of covenant as our sight of the Lord becomes clearer. Our attitude to financial matters changes, as we become more Kingdom minded and less selfish in that area of the ministry. In fact all the activities of people that constitutes a community of the Lord: a "church" begins to be adjusted by the changing winds of the Spirit. A move of God inevitably involves profound changes taking place within the structure of the Church (Luke 5: 37-39).
Changing Leadership:
When God transitions into a new era there is a general principle that the leadership of the Church comes under adjustment. This is caused by several reasons. Generally the older leadership that has become comfortable in their positions tends to resist the coming of the new spiritual positions. This creates a tension in the ranks of leadership in the Body of Christ. Also the doctrine of the 'new' truth is proclaimed and declared by a new group of revelatory preachers who come forth with a new dimension of authority. God never retreats to a lesser position of glory. Each new dimension of God comes forth with greater authority, clarity and power of proclamation. There is a gathering of people around this fresh dimension and so a movement is formed among the people.
Just as God moved from Eli to Samuel, from Saul to David, from Moses to Joshua in order to bring His people into a deeper dimension of relationship and accomplishment of His purpose so He still does today.
It is important to realize that a change of leadership does not immediately mean that God rejects all the former leaders of the past moves. Many senior leaders of past moves transition into the new moves of God and in so doing they move from a 'position' of Moses to a 'position' of Joshua. The use of the terms Eli, Saul and Moses as representative of what God is moving from, refers to the position occupied in the Spirit by these past leaders not to the actual individuals themselves. God loves all His leaders and many keep active in useful and powerful ministry even if they do not transition to the most accurate position for the current time.
Changing Expression:
A new move of God usually causes a change of how the corporate community expresses itself in the corporate worship. New songs generally are composed to capture the new understandings of God that prevail in the midst of the move. The music of the Church generally is a powerful factor for determining the 'culture' and 'atmosphere' of the local church. The way in which we worship is representative of the vision we have captured of the Lord. A fresh perspective of the Lord changes us
(2 Corinthians 3:18).
New vocabulary is developed to capture the fresh understanding. Many people are at first uncomfortable with the language of a new move of the Lord. If we look back through the history of the Church each move of God has its own particular sound and emphasis of worship and also a vocabulary that expresses the mentality of the saints in the most accurate way.
New Teachings and Doctrine:
Every new move of God produces fresh areas of emphasis in doctrine. The Pentecostal Movement, for example, brought with it an emphasis on the baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues as the evidence of having received the baptism. This truth was always in the Word of God but was not generally taught to the people by the leaders of the time.
It is important to realize that doctrine determines the shape of the spiritual culture, the operating mentality and the activity of the Church. With the new doctrinal emphasis in the Pentecostal Movement, people sang different songs, the sound and language of the Church changed, the patterns of ministry of the pastors and elders changed and the approach to life changed in the saints. There developed a new emphasis on what became called the 'Rapture' of the Church. The same patterns of change exist in the midst of this new move of God today.
New Ministering Activity:
In a new move of God the patterns of ministering also undergo change. By ministering I mean the process by which spiritual resource in transferred into the lives of the saints on an individual level.
In the Pentecostal Movement there was a great emphasis on the laying on of hands on the believers for healing, deliverance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All of this is biblical and should be practiced in the Church in every era of its operations. In the Prophetic Movement in the 1980's there came a great emphasis on delivering words of personal prophecy to the saints as a fresh pathway to release to them relevant divine resource for the building of their lives. In the present Apostolic Reformation the term 'impartation' has come to a place of great emphasis. There is great release of divine resource to the individual lives of the saints as the apostolic word that is impregnated with life-giving power is decreed and proclaimed over the lives of the saints (Romans 1: 11).
Impartation is a major dimension of the apostolic.
It is important to not that each new move of God does not abandon and reject the prevailing ministry pattern of the move that has gone before but includes and practices it in the midst of the new move. Therefore it is clear to see that each new move becomes stronger and more comprehensive in its spiritual operations.
This article seeks to provide a basis for understanding the process that is taking place in the global church today. All across the earth it has become very clear that there is a powerful and fundamental move of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The apostles and prophets that are being raised up by God in this hour are declaring new concepts. The message is being taken into the depths of the local churches by the pastors, evangelists and teachers who are coming into understanding and partnership with the Move of God. In many places uncertainty and even confusion has gripped the hearts and minds of many as they find that their accustomed places in the Spirit are being shaken as never before. But more than this, there is real desire in many ministries across the spiritual jurisdictions of the Body of Christ to hear, understand and receive the impartation that is flowing from heaven in increasing measure each day. One of the major problems for many leaders of ministries is the demand for transition that comes upon them, if they have to fully come into agreement with what the Spirit of God is releasing today. In this article I will lay down some basic and foundational principles that will assist progressive ministries to transition from their former spiritual emplacements to fresh and more vigorous positions in the Spirit.
Migration is a Core reality of the Church Experience
One of the central and most powerful prophetic metaphors used in the Word of God to describe core aspects of the Church experience is the picture of the journey or migration. The ancient Israelites were used by God as a national group to capture, describe and demonstrate many of the spiritual principles that operate with full power in the Body of Christ today (1 Corinthians 10:11).
The basic foundation upon which God developed all of the great transformational experiences that shaped them as a people was the foundation of the journey from bondage in Egypt to freedom in the land of Canaan. It was a process from limitation and slavery to identity and conquering. The key activating factor for the march across the wilderness was the requirement to follow the cloud of God (Numbers 9: 17 . 23). Transitioning or following the cloud of God to a new location was not a matter of choice or opinion. It was a matter of obedience. There was no other way to survive the wilderness journey. When the cloud moved, all the people moved with it.
The journey was not only geographical, moving them from one physical location to another. It was also a spiritual journey. As they traveled they came to understand more of God and His ways. They came to know His covenant ways but they also came to recognize their own identity and national structure. They left Egypt as a confused band of slaves but arrived at the border of the Land of Canaan as an organized nation and a mighty army. These are powerful spiritual principles for the Church as our cloud is moving today in a fresh advance of the Spirit. As we travel we are coming into recognition of our 'nation' structure in a new understanding of the power and authority of the Kingdom. We are being made in to a mighty spiritual army as we come into an explosive understanding of government and divine order in the Church.
Whenever we use the term: 'a move of God' we are basically saying that the Spirit of God has moved to new positions and we are being called to identify these new positions and move towards them. Even today the people of God are called to journey and migration. Therefore we can say that the history of the Church is a record of the sequence of the 'moves of God' within the Body of Christ throughout time.
What is a Movement?
A movement or a 'move of God' is built upon the core reality that the Church has realized that the Spirit of God is operating in a more advanced and different way and is calling the Church forward to new positions in the Spirit. The key factor to understand is that a . Move of God. Requires US to MOVE. It is not that the Spirit is ministering to us with a different manifestation as we remain in the same old place. When there is a 'move of God' the Church MUST move!
We can identify several general characteristics of a new move of God occurring in the Church. Of course this is not a complete and total list but will serve in this article to provide a basis for understanding what God requires of us in the midst of a move of God.
New Mentality:
Just as a computer has an operating system that determines how effectively the software that installed upon it works, so does the basic operating mentality of the Church determine how effectively we serve the Lord in our current era and do the exploits of the Kingdom in our day. In our case the 'software' would be all the activities, programs, ministry exploits, corporate behavior and actions that make up the active life of the Church. The operating system represents the prevailing concept of Christ, our perspective of what is effective Christianity in the 21st century, our belief system, our attitude to the world around us that is shaped by our doctrine and our understanding of our identity in the midst of surrounding conditions and circumstances.
If we believe that we are a weak and desperate people simply waiting to escape to heaven then we will not conceive of purposes that cause us to impact nations. If our perspective of Satan is that he is mighty, powerful and a main problem for us then we will not enter into the realm of overcoming spiritual warfare. If our concept of the Kingdom is only what Jesus can do FOR us then we will have no passion within us to accomplish HIS purposes in the earth. Spiritual mentality determines spiritual position and spiritual attitude.
In every move of God the mentality of the Church is moved and adjusted towards a more accurate biblical position.
Changing Structures and Patterns in the Church:
In every move of God the structures and patterns of the Church change. The term 'structures' involve many aspects of Church life and activity. The nature of our prayer changes from constant requests for survival to powerful declaration of our intention to overcome and finish the work of the Lord. We call this 'Governmental Prayer’. The nature of relationships between saints in the Kingdom changes as we move to purer positions of covenant as our sight of the Lord becomes clearer. Our attitude to financial matters changes, as we become more Kingdom minded and less selfish in that area of the ministry. In fact all the activities of people that constitutes a community of the Lord: a "church" begins to be adjusted by the changing winds of the Spirit. A move of God inevitably involves profound changes taking place within the structure of the Church (Luke 5: 37-39).
Changing Leadership:
When God transitions into a new era there is a general principle that the leadership of the Church comes under adjustment. This is caused by several reasons. Generally the older leadership that has become comfortable in their positions tends to resist the coming of the new spiritual positions. This creates a tension in the ranks of leadership in the Body of Christ. Also the doctrine of the 'new' truth is proclaimed and declared by a new group of revelatory preachers who come forth with a new dimension of authority. God never retreats to a lesser position of glory. Each new dimension of God comes forth with greater authority, clarity and power of proclamation. There is a gathering of people around this fresh dimension and so a movement is formed among the people.
Just as God moved from Eli to Samuel, from Saul to David, from Moses to Joshua in order to bring His people into a deeper dimension of relationship and accomplishment of His purpose so He still does today.
It is important to realize that a change of leadership does not immediately mean that God rejects all the former leaders of the past moves. Many senior leaders of past moves transition into the new moves of God and in so doing they move from a 'position' of Moses to a 'position' of Joshua. The use of the terms Eli, Saul and Moses as representative of what God is moving from, refers to the position occupied in the Spirit by these past leaders not to the actual individuals themselves. God loves all His leaders and many keep active in useful and powerful ministry even if they do not transition to the most accurate position for the current time.
Changing Expression:
A new move of God usually causes a change of how the corporate community expresses itself in the corporate worship. New songs generally are composed to capture the new understandings of God that prevail in the midst of the move. The music of the Church generally is a powerful factor for determining the 'culture' and 'atmosphere' of the local church. The way in which we worship is representative of the vision we have captured of the Lord. A fresh perspective of the Lord changes us
(2 Corinthians 3:18).
New vocabulary is developed to capture the fresh understanding. Many people are at first uncomfortable with the language of a new move of the Lord. If we look back through the history of the Church each move of God has its own particular sound and emphasis of worship and also a vocabulary that expresses the mentality of the saints in the most accurate way.
New Teachings and Doctrine:
Every new move of God produces fresh areas of emphasis in doctrine. The Pentecostal Movement, for example, brought with it an emphasis on the baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues as the evidence of having received the baptism. This truth was always in the Word of God but was not generally taught to the people by the leaders of the time.
It is important to realize that doctrine determines the shape of the spiritual culture, the operating mentality and the activity of the Church. With the new doctrinal emphasis in the Pentecostal Movement, people sang different songs, the sound and language of the Church changed, the patterns of ministry of the pastors and elders changed and the approach to life changed in the saints. There developed a new emphasis on what became called the 'Rapture' of the Church. The same patterns of change exist in the midst of this new move of God today.
New Ministering Activity:
In a new move of God the patterns of ministering also undergo change. By ministering I mean the process by which spiritual resource in transferred into the lives of the saints on an individual level.
In the Pentecostal Movement there was a great emphasis on the laying on of hands on the believers for healing, deliverance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All of this is biblical and should be practiced in the Church in every era of its operations. In the Prophetic Movement in the 1980's there came a great emphasis on delivering words of personal prophecy to the saints as a fresh pathway to release to them relevant divine resource for the building of their lives. In the present Apostolic Reformation the term 'impartation' has come to a place of great emphasis. There is great release of divine resource to the individual lives of the saints as the apostolic word that is impregnated with life-giving power is decreed and proclaimed over the lives of the saints (Romans 1: 11).
Impartation is a major dimension of the apostolic.
It is important to not that each new move of God does not abandon and reject the prevailing ministry pattern of the move that has gone before but includes and practices it in the midst of the new move. Therefore it is clear to see that each new move becomes stronger and more comprehensive in its spiritual operations.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Soul Cravings
Hey guys,its been fullon here! 2010 is in its 3rd month and we are trusting God its going to be our best year ever!Muse on my recent posting and leave your comments.
...He has also set eternity in the hearts of men Ecc 3:11
Every Billy Graham outreach of any kind begins with the same unnamable ache. That ache is discovered when people from every walk of life come to the end of their resources—finding themselves lost.
There is a pause, a sigh, a groan and they look up from an empty bottle of pills, or they step outside and begin a listless ramble along the highway, or they come trembling to the brink of suicide. And at that moment—at just the right moment—a message of hope comes to them.
This ache—that sense of emptiness, of having no purpose—is where many of our stories begin. Have you ever stopped to consider why we as humans crave intimacy, destiny and meaning? We are all searching for intimacy. Our search for intimacy explains our need for community, relationships, belonging, love and acceptance. We were designed to experience intimacy, loving God and each other. It’s God’s design and plan for humans to have these cravings. Soul cravings are a part of the stories of our lives. Someone has said it is God’s story and our story, woven together with themes of the Bible—from beginning to the end.
Not all senses of need are caused by bad actions. Millions feel, as the philosopher Pascal once put it, that there is a “God-shaped vacuum” in their heart. They know that something big is missing from their lives and that something is gnawing at them, prompting them to search for some way to feed that hunger. Many begin searching early in life for the missing piece and ultimately discover that it is actually a relationship---A relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ. Many have discovered that when they begin to reach out to God, He has already been reaching out to them.
...He has also set eternity in the hearts of men Ecc 3:11
Every Billy Graham outreach of any kind begins with the same unnamable ache. That ache is discovered when people from every walk of life come to the end of their resources—finding themselves lost.
There is a pause, a sigh, a groan and they look up from an empty bottle of pills, or they step outside and begin a listless ramble along the highway, or they come trembling to the brink of suicide. And at that moment—at just the right moment—a message of hope comes to them.
This ache—that sense of emptiness, of having no purpose—is where many of our stories begin. Have you ever stopped to consider why we as humans crave intimacy, destiny and meaning? We are all searching for intimacy. Our search for intimacy explains our need for community, relationships, belonging, love and acceptance. We were designed to experience intimacy, loving God and each other. It’s God’s design and plan for humans to have these cravings. Soul cravings are a part of the stories of our lives. Someone has said it is God’s story and our story, woven together with themes of the Bible—from beginning to the end.
Not all senses of need are caused by bad actions. Millions feel, as the philosopher Pascal once put it, that there is a “God-shaped vacuum” in their heart. They know that something big is missing from their lives and that something is gnawing at them, prompting them to search for some way to feed that hunger. Many begin searching early in life for the missing piece and ultimately discover that it is actually a relationship---A relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ. Many have discovered that when they begin to reach out to God, He has already been reaching out to them.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Be Thankful for Suffering
By Joni Eareckson Tada
As Thanksgiving approaches once again, I am reminded of so many people who are learning to be thankful despite their suffering. However I want to encourage them to go one better — I believe we can even learn to be thankful for suffering.
It is a common response to question God's goodness when we endure hardships — whether physical limitations, illness, job loss, the death of a loved one, you name it.
When I hear the question, Where is God? I am reminded of something I've learned through the years. God doesn't say, Into each life a little rain must fall, and then turn a fire hose on the earth to see who gets the wettest. On the contrary, He screens the trials that come at us, always erecting invisible fences around the enemy's fury and bringing ultimate good out of wickedness.
I wonder, how does He pull it off? I realize that we are a world of finite humans trying to comprehend an infinite God. What is clear is that God permits lots of things He doesn't approve of. That fact doesn't sit well with us, but think of the alternative. Imagine a God who insisted on a hands-off policy toward the evil barreling our way. The world would be much, much worse than it is. Evil would be uncontrolled. But thank God He curbs it.
Please know I'm no expert. There are days I wake up and think, I can't do this. I have no resources for this. I can't face another day dealing with total paralysis. But that's when I plead, Lord, you have the resources I lack. I can't do this, but you can. And He does.
The truly handicapped among us are those who start their mornings on automatic cruise control, without needing God. But He gives strength to all who cry to Him for help. So who are the weak and needy? Who are those who need this help? A brief pause in the dark shadows of recent events always allows the point to come home. It's you and me.
These can be scary times in which we live. Never have the lines between the forces of darkness and light, of good and evil, seemed so clear. Never has the world, battered and bruised as it is, seemed so vulnerable, so fragile, so unsafe. In the years since Sept. 11, 2001, and through the last two years of our shaky economy, something has become clear to me. It was something I sensed was just ahead, something that began to appear on the horizon and that grew with each day, with each hug shared, with each word of encouragement spoken.
I'd been given eyes to see . . . an adventure.
In the long shadow cast by my wheelchair —the 43 years of my paralysis —I've been granted the privilege of living at such a time. No greater shadow has ever been cast in earth's history. Today after Sept. 11 and the economic meltdown, humanity seems to have taken an on-ramp to an ever-broadening highway. It is a chance, a mandate, to remember the world's most vulnerable — the disabled —while power brokers shift the planet's levers and gears. It is an opportunity - indeed, a gift - to witness the unfolding plan of a gracious God who draws near to the weak, stays close to the afflicted, and always seems bigger to those who need him most. It is an even larger, greater on-ramp to adventure.
And my wheelchair is taking me there.
God's "no" answer to my physical healing more than 40 years ago was a "yes" to a deeper healing—a better one. His answer bound me to other believers and taught me so much about myself. It has purged sin from my life, it has strengthened my commitment to Him, forced me to depend on His grace. His wiser, deeper answer has stretched my hope, refined my faith, and helped me to know Him better.
So I thank Him, not despite His answer, but for it. For the wiser choice, the better answer, the harder yet richer path. I thank Him for showing me that there are more important things in life than walking.
As Thanksgiving approaches once again, I am reminded of so many people who are learning to be thankful despite their suffering. However I want to encourage them to go one better — I believe we can even learn to be thankful for suffering.
It is a common response to question God's goodness when we endure hardships — whether physical limitations, illness, job loss, the death of a loved one, you name it.
When I hear the question, Where is God? I am reminded of something I've learned through the years. God doesn't say, Into each life a little rain must fall, and then turn a fire hose on the earth to see who gets the wettest. On the contrary, He screens the trials that come at us, always erecting invisible fences around the enemy's fury and bringing ultimate good out of wickedness.
I wonder, how does He pull it off? I realize that we are a world of finite humans trying to comprehend an infinite God. What is clear is that God permits lots of things He doesn't approve of. That fact doesn't sit well with us, but think of the alternative. Imagine a God who insisted on a hands-off policy toward the evil barreling our way. The world would be much, much worse than it is. Evil would be uncontrolled. But thank God He curbs it.
Please know I'm no expert. There are days I wake up and think, I can't do this. I have no resources for this. I can't face another day dealing with total paralysis. But that's when I plead, Lord, you have the resources I lack. I can't do this, but you can. And He does.
The truly handicapped among us are those who start their mornings on automatic cruise control, without needing God. But He gives strength to all who cry to Him for help. So who are the weak and needy? Who are those who need this help? A brief pause in the dark shadows of recent events always allows the point to come home. It's you and me.
These can be scary times in which we live. Never have the lines between the forces of darkness and light, of good and evil, seemed so clear. Never has the world, battered and bruised as it is, seemed so vulnerable, so fragile, so unsafe. In the years since Sept. 11, 2001, and through the last two years of our shaky economy, something has become clear to me. It was something I sensed was just ahead, something that began to appear on the horizon and that grew with each day, with each hug shared, with each word of encouragement spoken.
I'd been given eyes to see . . . an adventure.
In the long shadow cast by my wheelchair —the 43 years of my paralysis —I've been granted the privilege of living at such a time. No greater shadow has ever been cast in earth's history. Today after Sept. 11 and the economic meltdown, humanity seems to have taken an on-ramp to an ever-broadening highway. It is a chance, a mandate, to remember the world's most vulnerable — the disabled —while power brokers shift the planet's levers and gears. It is an opportunity - indeed, a gift - to witness the unfolding plan of a gracious God who draws near to the weak, stays close to the afflicted, and always seems bigger to those who need him most. It is an even larger, greater on-ramp to adventure.
And my wheelchair is taking me there.
God's "no" answer to my physical healing more than 40 years ago was a "yes" to a deeper healing—a better one. His answer bound me to other believers and taught me so much about myself. It has purged sin from my life, it has strengthened my commitment to Him, forced me to depend on His grace. His wiser, deeper answer has stretched my hope, refined my faith, and helped me to know Him better.
So I thank Him, not despite His answer, but for it. For the wiser choice, the better answer, the harder yet richer path. I thank Him for showing me that there are more important things in life than walking.
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