Life keeps me busy.. What can I say? By the way, happy November!
I was listening to some people talk the other day about why they as individual men were not going to marry. "There's too much commitment", one said. The other replied, "That, and who can you trust nowadays?" It sort of, just a little bit, got me to thinking.
We live in a society where marriage failure is seen as inevitable no matter how hard you fight to make it work. Divorce is what will happen. There are no if's, and's, or but's about it. Not to mention, you have every right to try and make it work with someone else.. Or five someone elses if you're just unhappy with who you're with. You deserve to be stress-free for crying out loud. You don't need the worry. You don't need the anger. You don't need to be shackled with someone who is going to make the rest of your life miserable. Listen, if it feels good, do it. No one can blame you. After all, if you're dissatisfied with your spouse, it couldn't possibly be your fault, could it?
I was raised by my mom and dad. They were married when they had me. Crazily enough, in December of this year, they'll have 30 years under their belts as hubby and wifey. Surprising, isn't it? Growing up, they were my model, my ideal couple that I wanted my wife and I to be like. Don't get me wrong.. They had their ups and their downs, their arguments, their fights, their sleeping in separate rooms for the night, their this and that. But they stayed together. Regardless of what happened the day before, the night before, the week before, the year before, they stuck it out. They made it through. And that was always my goal. Divorce, though at times I'm sure discussed, was never really an option.
Now, I'm married. No kids yet, but it's been almost 2 years since Brooke and I made our vows to one another - For better or worse, 'till death do us part. In those two years, there have been several people, both singles and couples, who have come to us for advice. "How do you make it work?" a woman said. "What do you do when it gets hard?" a married man asked. To answer both of their questions, Brooke and I both told of our perseverance. We keep going. We keep moving forward. We know that the God we serve together is bigger than any spat we could ever have. But you know what works best of all? Communication. Not just with God because that's kind of a given. But with one another. I can remember in marriage counseling, a couple once said, the most important things you can do as a married unit is, "1. Be intimate. 2. Talk to each other". What they said, I'll never forget, because I know now how important it is. I want to encourage you, that if you're going through something as a married man or woman, talk about it with your spouse. Sometimes I think that Brooke expects me to know everything she's thinking all at once. And I can't. It's impossible. Likewise, I do the same thing. There are days I expect her to know exactly what I mean how I say something. And she can't. It's impossible. Saying I do is not just a momentary thing. Say I do means I pledge to from this day forward, as long as I live.
Regardless of who said what or how it was said, or even your past experiences in relationships that lasted or didn't, you have the choice today to be a committed husband (or a potential husband, if you're a single man) or a committed wife (or a potential wife, if you're a single woman). Prove the world wrong and show that nothing's impossible with God.
About Me
- Eric Bates
- I love and preach Jesus, I'm crazy about Brooke, I'm a people person, I drink my weight in coffee, I could eat Mexican or Chinese every day of my life
11.02.2011
10.12.2011
Ants and magnifying glasses
Did you ever watch Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey? Remember that scene where Carrey's character 'Bruce' makes this statement, "God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, but He'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm."
I'm starting to realize more and more that people really do see Yahweh this way. It's really weird to think about it since I've grown up in a Christian home, had Christian friends, and haven't had such a bad life.. From the outside, that is. I have to point out, though, that my life hasn't always been what it is now. I used to struggle heavily with lust and had several bouts with internet pornography - which I believe is a plague to Christian men of honor and commitment everywhere. Pornography's a sickness to the Biblical statute of what God's idea is for a family. I'll blog about that later. But before I'm off the subject, I do have to say that the reason families fall apart is because of a lack of communication. Men don't want to fess up to their wives because they're prideful. Women don't want to fess up to their husbands because they're dealing with why their husbands don't look at them the way they look at women on the computer screens. Children are being tempted earlier and earlier.. What are we going to do? Stop being quiet, perhaps? People of honor and commitment (which is a subject I'm preaching about tomorrow night. Thursday Night @ The Regeneration. 7:14) learn how to be transparent. That's the only way we overcome obstacles, struggles, and sin, is through transparency with our spouses, families, and friends. We've got to have more accountability in our lives. Ha! This is obviously something I'm passionate about. However, for the time being, I digress.
My life was subdued by internet pornography. I was bound in chains to lust. There was no victory in my life. There was no sense of purpose, nor did I feel like I had any rhyme or reason to my walk with God. Keep in mind, being raised in a Christian home, I knew what prayer was. I had seen Jesus work miracle after miracle through effectual, fervent prayers of the saints. But when I prayed, "why doesn't God hear me?" I would ask. "I hate being this way," I would say. "I hate dealing with this. I want to be delivered." I would pray day after day, slip-up after slip-up. Then one day, God heard me.
I would like to say that though I'm still tempted, God is faithful and makes a way out (1 Cor. 10:13). I don't struggle anymore. I just learn how to submit to God and let the devil leave me (James 4:7-8). At the very name of Jesus, whether it's a whisper or a shout, every demon still has to flee. Everything surrenders to His name because His name is high above every other name named (Phil. 2:9-10).
So, with this title, Ants and magnifying glasses, I would like to testify to God's goodness.
For He is good and His mercy endures forever. - Psalm 107:1. He's incapable of being anything else other than good. All that He is and does is for humanity's benefit. All He knows how to do is be good. All He wants for us is healing, restoration, and hope. Even in our chastisement, it's still for our good (Prov. 3:11; Heb. 12:7-8). On the other hand, it's Satan who is incapable of being anything else other than evil. All that he is and does is for humanity's demise. All he knows how to do is be evil. All he wants for us is to be stolen from, have destroyed life, and ultimately to kill us (John 8:44; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Hebrews 2:14; John 3:8).
The amazing thing about God is that He is in the business of causing us to triumph and be victorious. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. - Nehemiah 13:2. It's what He does. But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.. - Genesis 50:20. Again, it's what He does.
I have to tell you that we aren't ants and there is actually no need for a magnifying glass, though it is US who use them. We, in our fleshly nature, or Satan helps us use a magnifying glass to see how big our situation, circumstance, or scenario can look compared to God. Truly, there's none who compares to Him though. See, there is no opposite to God because there is no equal. He is above all things and in all things, He is completely good all the time.
We've got to understand that His intentions for our lives are the best!
I'm starting to realize more and more that people really do see Yahweh this way. It's really weird to think about it since I've grown up in a Christian home, had Christian friends, and haven't had such a bad life.. From the outside, that is. I have to point out, though, that my life hasn't always been what it is now. I used to struggle heavily with lust and had several bouts with internet pornography - which I believe is a plague to Christian men of honor and commitment everywhere. Pornography's a sickness to the Biblical statute of what God's idea is for a family. I'll blog about that later. But before I'm off the subject, I do have to say that the reason families fall apart is because of a lack of communication. Men don't want to fess up to their wives because they're prideful. Women don't want to fess up to their husbands because they're dealing with why their husbands don't look at them the way they look at women on the computer screens. Children are being tempted earlier and earlier.. What are we going to do? Stop being quiet, perhaps? People of honor and commitment (which is a subject I'm preaching about tomorrow night. Thursday Night @ The Regeneration. 7:14) learn how to be transparent. That's the only way we overcome obstacles, struggles, and sin, is through transparency with our spouses, families, and friends. We've got to have more accountability in our lives. Ha! This is obviously something I'm passionate about. However, for the time being, I digress.
My life was subdued by internet pornography. I was bound in chains to lust. There was no victory in my life. There was no sense of purpose, nor did I feel like I had any rhyme or reason to my walk with God. Keep in mind, being raised in a Christian home, I knew what prayer was. I had seen Jesus work miracle after miracle through effectual, fervent prayers of the saints. But when I prayed, "why doesn't God hear me?" I would ask. "I hate being this way," I would say. "I hate dealing with this. I want to be delivered." I would pray day after day, slip-up after slip-up. Then one day, God heard me.
I would like to say that though I'm still tempted, God is faithful and makes a way out (1 Cor. 10:13). I don't struggle anymore. I just learn how to submit to God and let the devil leave me (James 4:7-8). At the very name of Jesus, whether it's a whisper or a shout, every demon still has to flee. Everything surrenders to His name because His name is high above every other name named (Phil. 2:9-10).
So, with this title, Ants and magnifying glasses, I would like to testify to God's goodness.
For He is good and His mercy endures forever. - Psalm 107:1. He's incapable of being anything else other than good. All that He is and does is for humanity's benefit. All He knows how to do is be good. All He wants for us is healing, restoration, and hope. Even in our chastisement, it's still for our good (Prov. 3:11; Heb. 12:7-8). On the other hand, it's Satan who is incapable of being anything else other than evil. All that he is and does is for humanity's demise. All he knows how to do is be evil. All he wants for us is to be stolen from, have destroyed life, and ultimately to kill us (John 8:44; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Hebrews 2:14; John 3:8).
The amazing thing about God is that He is in the business of causing us to triumph and be victorious. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. - Nehemiah 13:2. It's what He does. But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.. - Genesis 50:20. Again, it's what He does.
I have to tell you that we aren't ants and there is actually no need for a magnifying glass, though it is US who use them. We, in our fleshly nature, or Satan helps us use a magnifying glass to see how big our situation, circumstance, or scenario can look compared to God. Truly, there's none who compares to Him though. See, there is no opposite to God because there is no equal. He is above all things and in all things, He is completely good all the time.
We've got to understand that His intentions for our lives are the best!
10.11.2011
Unity, please?
For the record, I believe in unity in the Body of Christ. Like Hebrews 12:14 says, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. I believe that where there is no unity there can be no active Spirit of God. How can Holy Spirit align Himself with a group of people who can't work together? It's against His nature that when He is not welcome, He will not be force Himself in.
Likewise, I also believe that God is doing something in these last days. He is raising us up and building us up in this last day to be the Bride that He has foreseen through the ages - a people of Presence (Rom. 8:9; Acts 5:31), a people of power (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8), a people of praise (Acts 16:25-28; Psalm 100), a people of prestige (Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 10:31), a people of placement (Gen. 12:4; Acts 9:17), a people of prayer (John 14:14; Heb. 4:14-16), a people of peace (Phil. 4:6-8; John 14:27), a people of proclamation (1 Cor. 1:18; Rom. 1:16), a people of peculiarity (1 Pet. 2:9-10; Deut. 32:9), a people of purpose (Jer. 29:11; Rom. 8:28-30), a people of passion (Luke 19:10; Rom. 10:9-10), a people who are called by His name (2 Chr. 7:14).
I just want to share something that God has recently laid on my heart. It's almost a reoccurring theme, though. The theme of unity. Holy Spirit showed me the following along with the sermonette above.
If God be for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31
In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. - Romans 8:37
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. - Revelation 12:11
Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. - 2 Corinthians 2:11
On this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. - Matthew 16:18-19
Notice some of the key terms. If God be for US, WE are more than conquerors, THEY overcame, WE are not ignorant. If you're a believer in Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection, this includes you. If you're a believer, you're a part of the single, most beautiful thing in existence. If you're a believer, you and I have more things in common than we don't. We are the Church - not a denominationally, racially, culturally, economically divided institution. We, cumulatively, are His bride, the ones He is coming back for soon. When we separate ourselves from the rest of the Body, there's no power in us nor any potential for the things God has foreseen through the ages about us. We are in this thing together. We stand beside each other in battles, we weep when one another weeps, we rejoice when one another rejoices, we encourage one another, we lift up one another in prayer, we are with each other until the end (Side note.. Church people who believe in you and what God's called you to do don't know how to help if you don't tell them what you're dealing with). We've got to remember that whether we're Baptist, Methodist, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, we're with each other. We've got to remember this!
Last few things - 1. the sermonette above, it's a people. A people is not you nor I by ourselves. It's more than one. It's the Body. 2. I'm convinced that the power that came in Acts 2 partially happened because the disciples were gathered in one mind and one accord in Acts 1:14.
We're called!
Likewise, I also believe that God is doing something in these last days. He is raising us up and building us up in this last day to be the Bride that He has foreseen through the ages - a people of Presence (Rom. 8:9; Acts 5:31), a people of power (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8), a people of praise (Acts 16:25-28; Psalm 100), a people of prestige (Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 10:31), a people of placement (Gen. 12:4; Acts 9:17), a people of prayer (John 14:14; Heb. 4:14-16), a people of peace (Phil. 4:6-8; John 14:27), a people of proclamation (1 Cor. 1:18; Rom. 1:16), a people of peculiarity (1 Pet. 2:9-10; Deut. 32:9), a people of purpose (Jer. 29:11; Rom. 8:28-30), a people of passion (Luke 19:10; Rom. 10:9-10), a people who are called by His name (2 Chr. 7:14).
I just want to share something that God has recently laid on my heart. It's almost a reoccurring theme, though. The theme of unity. Holy Spirit showed me the following along with the sermonette above.
If God be for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31
In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. - Romans 8:37
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. - Revelation 12:11
Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. - 2 Corinthians 2:11
On this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. - Matthew 16:18-19
Notice some of the key terms. If God be for US, WE are more than conquerors, THEY overcame, WE are not ignorant. If you're a believer in Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection, this includes you. If you're a believer, you're a part of the single, most beautiful thing in existence. If you're a believer, you and I have more things in common than we don't. We are the Church - not a denominationally, racially, culturally, economically divided institution. We, cumulatively, are His bride, the ones He is coming back for soon. When we separate ourselves from the rest of the Body, there's no power in us nor any potential for the things God has foreseen through the ages about us. We are in this thing together. We stand beside each other in battles, we weep when one another weeps, we rejoice when one another rejoices, we encourage one another, we lift up one another in prayer, we are with each other until the end (Side note.. Church people who believe in you and what God's called you to do don't know how to help if you don't tell them what you're dealing with). We've got to remember that whether we're Baptist, Methodist, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, we're with each other. We've got to remember this!
Last few things - 1. the sermonette above, it's a people. A people is not you nor I by ourselves. It's more than one. It's the Body. 2. I'm convinced that the power that came in Acts 2 partially happened because the disciples were gathered in one mind and one accord in Acts 1:14.
We're called!
10.07.2011
Psalm 29
I'm just gonna share a little bit of what the Father's been dealing with me about in recent days.
Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
(You're a mighty one in the eyes of the King. That's why you and I are called kings and priests before Him [Rev. 1:6]. We are carriers of His dominion and His glory, created in His image of morality, will, and authority [Gen. 1:26; Matt. 10; Luke 10]. At the same time, we also serve Him as a priest and intercessor, joining our faith with believers [Matt. 18:19-20] and being signs and wonders for nonbelievers [John 4:48]. This is His great pleasure for us. [Eph. 1:9])
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness.
(You and I were created to give Him wholehearted praise, not just with our lips nor our mouths, but with our heart. Jesus has said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks [Luke 6:45]. Our words we say are only a hint of where our hearts actually are. Our actions we perform are, like our words, only a hint of where our hearts actually are. We, as believers, are called to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth [John 4:24] , with all that we are, if for no other reason than just for who He is. Because of His nature, He is already worthy of our praise. But because we know what He is capable of - saving us, restoring us, making our lives new, healing us, baptizing us with the Holy Ghost and power - in our minds, He becomes even more worthy. We know that He is enthroned on the praises of His people [Psa. 22:3]. Another version says that He inhabits the praises of His people. So that's why we worship Him in the beauty of holiness because there's something incredibly beautiful about the place where He and I meet. It's holiness because He 's there with me, but it's also beautiful because we are there together.)
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is power;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
(The voice of the Lord is power. It's nothing less than that. When He speaks, all of creation lines up directly and immediately to His commands. With His voice, He causes the dead to be raised [John 11:43; Rom. 4:17]. With His voice, He calms the roaring winds and raging seas [Psa. 107:29; Mark 4]. With His voice, He makes victories over His sons become a reality [Exo. 14:14; Rev. 19:15]. We could go on and on about the power of His voice. There are so many things that we don't see, yet we know that the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. Just like in an empire or a kingdom of old, what the king says is done - no questions asked. It's the same way with the King and His kingdom. That's why we as believers trust in the written Word of God. We speak His word over our lives and situations and no that even if something doesn't happen immediately in the physical realm that worlds are moving in the spiritual realm. We trust Him in that because we know that it's impossible for God to lie [Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18].
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
(Whether it is the hugest tree in existence or whether it is the animals that live on the earth, they are moved by the voice of God. It's impossible for everything that has a breath, whether they receive it or whether they reject it, not to be moved. This is why the story of the Cross causes so much controversy. If I tell someone a movie plot of a man risking his life to save his daughter from drowning in the ocean, it's a box office hit. If I tell someone the story of Jesus, there's offense. The reason why is this - every story that involves rescuing is just a foretaste of the Cross. Men and women become so angry at my persistence to serve Jesus because they, like you and I, were created to live out the same story. It causes conviction to come over their hearts that they disguise as condemnation so they can manage their emotions. Regardless of even if they ever repent, it doesn't change the fact that the story that saved my life is and was still true. Because of that, God is in attempt to woo the entirety of mankind. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [2 Pet. 3:9]. The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men [Titus 2:11]. That's why they have no excuse [Rom. 1:20]. God, in times past, overlooked their ignorance, but is now calling all men everywhere to repent [Acts 17:30]. The point is - creation, all of it, is moved at the very real voice of God.)
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
(A foreshadowing of Matt. 3:11, Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, and Acts 2:1-4, perhaps? Psalm 104 says that He makes His ministers [servants] as a flaming fire [supernatural fire]. That could be why He's called a consuming fire [Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29]. Fire is used to purify and set a part (Job 23:10). Fire is used in testing (Mal. 3:2). Fire is used in passion. I had a friend that used to preach, 'If your heart's just on fire, you're not serving my God. My God is a consuming fire - every part of me is aflame!' You're on fire, mighty one!)
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And stripes the forests bare;
(Again, all of creation lines up to His voice. Whether the tallest trees or the swiftest animals, nothing can escape to be moved by His voice. That's why we tell the sun to stand still [Jos. 10] and mountains to move [Matt. 17:20-21]. They have no other choice but to listen to us. Not because of who we are, but because of who He is, the everlasting God, inside of us. Exodus 15:3 calls Him a man of war. Because if His word is in us, it will come out of us. Jeremiah 20:9 says that it's a fire shut up in my bones. If I try to keep it in, it will burn me up. His word causes things to happen. Plain and simple.)
And in His temple, everyone says, "Glory!"
(It's honor, strength, power, and dominion to Him forever. It's all about Him and not about us. That's why 1 Corinthians 1:31 says, Let him that boasts boast in the Lord. Whether I eat or whether I drink or whatever I do, I do unto the glory of God [Col. 3:23]. The man that has given himself over to God fully can do nothing else. The man that has given himself over to God is fully incapable of taking credit for anything. That man knows that there is nothing that is in existence without the sustainable power of the living God's words keeping it there. 'Glory' here literally means 'honor, splendor, abundance of riches, reputation, and dignity' belonging to Him alone.)
And the Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
(Genesis 6 tells about the flood of Noah's day. The Lord was not moved by circumstance, nor is He ever. He is immutable and consistent in His ability to be unchanging [Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8]. The Lord is moved by faith, but if the wicked are indeed faithless, He remains on His throne. This scene, in it of itself, shows His sovereignty. The King of glory is supreme. There is nothing beside Him, nor can anything dare to stand next to Him. Isaiah 40, the Lord says to whom shall you compare Me unto? Psalm 77, the Psalmist writes who is as great a God as our God? Neither situation, nor circumstance, nor emotion, nor anything can shake even the foundations of His throne.)
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
(Strength is a promise for you and I. Exodus 15:2 says the Lord is my strength and my song. 1 Samuel 30:6 shows that we have the ability to strengthen ourselves in the Lord [Eph. 6:18; 1 Cor. 14:5; Rom. 8:26-27]. Peace by blessing is a promise for us. We have perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him [Isa. 26:3]. We have peace that passes every part of our understanding [Phil. 4:6-8]. We have peace that only Jesus, not this world, can give [John 14:27]. Peace consumes us as a part of the fruit of the Spirit [Gal. 5:21]. And our God, He is the God of peace [Rom. 16; 1 Cor. 14; 2 Cor. 13; 1 Thess. 5]. That's why we know that no matter what happens, whether a flood or whether a shining sun, whether we understand it or whether we don't, we'll be in peace. His voice brings us peace.)
It's an amazing thing to know the authority of His voice. Everything, like we talked about before, is in complete submission to any and everything God says. The word of God is all powerful and causes all of creation to be moved. His voice is the One we know and we will not follow another [John 10:27].
Believe Him and His word. He'll never leave, never fail, never forsake [Deut. 31:6; Isa. 41:10-13; Heb. 13:5]. The only way we'll know that is if we read His love letter to us.
10.06.2011
Hope to the hopeless
I was doing some journal writing the other day when God started sharing His heart with me. Vision, like I mentioned in yesterday's post, is something that's been impressed on me a lot here lately. A visionless, dreamless believer is a hopeless, lifeless believer is what Holy Spirit told me. After all, Proverbs 29 says where there is no vision, the people perish. Another version says, where there is no prophetic revelation, the people cast off restraint. Basically, where there is no clear direction from heaven given, there is only dissatisfaction and rebellion. If there's no vision casting going on in a church or over a believer's life, it's like being in a row boat.
I'll give you two mental shots to grasp -
1. A rower rowing and the other rower doing nothing altogether; or,
2. A rower rowing one way and the other rowing in the opposite direction.
From a learning experience rafting trip (I use that terminology loosely), I know that the first scenario causes the boat to go round and round in circles while the second scenario causes the boat to pretty much stay in the same spot depending on which rower gets tired first. In that event, the first illustration would occur.
Both seem a little counter-productive, don't they? It's because they are..
I've actually found that if rowers row together, particularly at the same time, in the same movement, the boat can go somewhere pretty quick. It's the same concept with vision and vision casting - both in the body of believers (which, if you're not going to a local assembly for whatever reason, I ask you to reconsider your position. Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:42) and in an individual (if you're following the Rom. 8:28-30 formula, all things work out for your good. When you love him and you're called by God to the purpose you're engaging in, that's when God works your stuff out. Day-by-day, as this happens, you will be conformed to the image of His Son [which was the Father's intention all along]). Vision has its foundation and roots in both of these institutions - in the local church and in the individual believer.
Vision for the Church, the collective Body of Christ, is pretty universal. Though some values may be different, we're all shooting for the same goals - to work out Matt. 18:11 and Luke 19:10. For the Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost. This is OUR common purpose, OUR common initiative, OUR common vision. We have a call to present our message of rest to the weary, strength to the weak, riches to the poor, bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, freedom to the captive, healing to the sick, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, life to the dead,comfort to the comfortless, help to the helpless, light to the darkness. This is why we're here.
Jesus came to this earth as Colossians 1 says, to be the image of the invisible God. Now that He is ascended to the right of the Father (Luke 22; Heb. 1), He is praying for us to be the Body that is in proportion to the Head (Heb. 7:25). We are the image of the invisible God now. We are the sons and daughters to this broken, destitute earth. We are the hope to the hopeless. We are the ones who are destined to fulfill Matthew 10:8. Heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely you have received, freely give. You and I seek and save the lost with our compassion on them. Notice in Scripture that's when Jesus healed and fed the people - when He had compassion on them (John 6). We have been commissioned by the King of glory to be His representatives (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:21). We are His sent ones. We have the message of life and death in us. We have the ability to show people a way for their sins to be forgiven. If we're quiet, we have the ability to show people a way to not have their sins forgiven. We are the hope to the hopeless.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. - Luke 4:18-19 [Isa. 61].
Let's arise and be who we're called to be!
I'll give you two mental shots to grasp -
1. A rower rowing and the other rower doing nothing altogether; or,
2. A rower rowing one way and the other rowing in the opposite direction.
From a learning experience rafting trip (I use that terminology loosely), I know that the first scenario causes the boat to go round and round in circles while the second scenario causes the boat to pretty much stay in the same spot depending on which rower gets tired first. In that event, the first illustration would occur.
Both seem a little counter-productive, don't they? It's because they are..
I've actually found that if rowers row together, particularly at the same time, in the same movement, the boat can go somewhere pretty quick. It's the same concept with vision and vision casting - both in the body of believers (which, if you're not going to a local assembly for whatever reason, I ask you to reconsider your position. Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:42) and in an individual (if you're following the Rom. 8:28-30 formula, all things work out for your good. When you love him and you're called by God to the purpose you're engaging in, that's when God works your stuff out. Day-by-day, as this happens, you will be conformed to the image of His Son [which was the Father's intention all along]). Vision has its foundation and roots in both of these institutions - in the local church and in the individual believer.
Vision for the Church, the collective Body of Christ, is pretty universal. Though some values may be different, we're all shooting for the same goals - to work out Matt. 18:11 and Luke 19:10. For the Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost. This is OUR common purpose, OUR common initiative, OUR common vision. We have a call to present our message of rest to the weary, strength to the weak, riches to the poor, bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, freedom to the captive, healing to the sick, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, life to the dead,comfort to the comfortless, help to the helpless, light to the darkness. This is why we're here.
Jesus came to this earth as Colossians 1 says, to be the image of the invisible God. Now that He is ascended to the right of the Father (Luke 22; Heb. 1), He is praying for us to be the Body that is in proportion to the Head (Heb. 7:25). We are the image of the invisible God now. We are the sons and daughters to this broken, destitute earth. We are the hope to the hopeless. We are the ones who are destined to fulfill Matthew 10:8. Heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely you have received, freely give. You and I seek and save the lost with our compassion on them. Notice in Scripture that's when Jesus healed and fed the people - when He had compassion on them (John 6). We have been commissioned by the King of glory to be His representatives (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:21). We are His sent ones. We have the message of life and death in us. We have the ability to show people a way for their sins to be forgiven. If we're quiet, we have the ability to show people a way to not have their sins forgiven. We are the hope to the hopeless.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. - Luke 4:18-19 [Isa. 61].
Let's arise and be who we're called to be!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)