David says in Psalm 27 that the Lord is his salvation. Do you have salvation? Do you have Him?
~ Intercession for San Francisco
March 1, 2010
Unveiled
February 28, 2010
“The apostle Paul expressly refers to this incident when he says that we all may, with unveiled faces, behold the glory of the Lord, and be transformed (II Cor. 3:13-18). That blessed vision, which of old was given to the great leader of Israel, is now within reach of each individual believer. The Gospel has no fences to keep the crowd off the mount of vision; the lowliest and most unworthy of its children may pass upward where the shining glory is to be seen. “We all… are changed”. ~ F. B. Meyer
Stay Low.
February 28, 2010
Keep it Burnin’
February 28, 2010
Phil 3:15-21 (The Message)
So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.
Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.
The Kid Has Potential
February 27, 2010
Ever see a parent trying too hard to protect a kid? Maybe an overprotective dad holding on to the back of a bike with training wheels? Ever seen a parent let a small kid have a little freedom to see what they will do?
As a toddler I focused on an impossible mission of looking for my stuffed animal named “fishy” at the beach. My dad says that I just said that “I want my fishy.”, and then started walking down the beach away from my family. To you guys who know my personality, it would not surprise you that I kept walking in a determined fashion for miles until my dad who was following from a distance finally picked me up.
Psalm 139 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. This means to me that we have amazing potential. Potential to do great things and potential to really screw things up. I see the Father God looking upon us with that same scared look as He lets us try new things. He knows that what you could do is immeasurable.
You my friend are fearfully and wonderfully made. The potential you have to change the world is limitless.
Unveiled
February 27, 2010
Been wrestling down the vision for a new meeting that will launch from the ground of 24-7. Yesterday I came up with the central most idea of “Moving the people of God from a knowledge of Him to knowing Him.” As I prayed about the name I came down with the name Unveiled.
This morning as I prayed about which devotion I should read, opened up my book to 72 and the title is Lifting the Veil, a reflection on 2 Cor. 3:12-18. Weird.
2 Cor. 3:12-18
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Who’s the Teacher?
February 22, 2010
Jesus is the teacher. In the New Testament texts He takes a lot of time to reinterpreting the Old Testament, revealing it’s true intention. Traditional Judaism calls this process binding and loosing. “The expressions “bind” and “loose” were common to Jewish legal phraseology meaning to declare something forbidden or to declare it allowed.” This same gift of interpretation is given to us as His children (Matt. 16:19; 18:18)
One example that I’ve recently found revealing is when Christ was sharing in Matt. 23:7-10
He says “…they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Messiah.”
If you look at this in light of what the prophet Ezekiel says in chapter 34:11-16,
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”
In both passages God is correcting or binding up bad teaching about how leaders are suppose function among His people. Personally I’ve found great comfort in the reality that God is establishing His Church and I am participating with Him in that. In other words, Christ is developing a body and, by His choice, I have been given some small proverbial house hold chores to accomplish in a tiny portion of the global timeless bride HE is preparing for Himself.
See I think Jesus saw the way the teachers got drunk off of leading people and foresaw us mishandling our roles as “leaders” and wanted to relieve us of pressure that He was not putting on us. Ever since the beginning in the garden, with Moses, with David, Jacob, etc. His heart was always to connect with His people. That’s why He died and imparted to us His ghost, to be with us.
By our submission to God, our recognition of His authority and input into all situations, and our complete dependence on His love for His bride we can be healthy servants in His body. He laid down His life, He is King, He is Savior, He is Lord over all; He will not fail when He is given the opportunity to work. Let Him!
