Welcome friends and saints of the Most High! Please forgive the missing week, the 'editor and chief' rejected my copy, and I ran out of time this week to catch up. On that note, it is probably time for another quick disclaimer and explanation of the proceedings herein. First and foremost, any interpretation of scripture in picture or form is to be looked at with the eyes of your heart, and with the witness of the Spirit of God within you. Anything else is unprofitable. And I am VERY prone to wander off on extemporaneous discussions that perhaps do nothing for you. Furthermore, being a general 'know it all', I state things as fact at times when they are simply my own experience. Be critical in love, and take the life you find!
Two months have gone by, and my personal riches in Christ have grown by what we have found here. I hope and pray that those who I have not heard from are finding life as well. There is no requirement of participation, enjoy at your leisure. For those who have given responses, thank you for your contribution. We are called to be conduits of life, and I am continually blessed by the riches He has deposited in the saints. Each of you is a life giving spring! How amazing is our God!
We are discussing these verses, and for a bit of change, lets quote them here (Jonah 2:8-10, ASV):
"They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah." And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
I read the first verse as Jonah speaking to himself, to his natural man. We could transliterate this as "paying attention to corrupt emptiness". When I live by my own choice, and that choice leading to death apart from God, I truly turn away from the supply of life in Christ, and the mercy He gives. Others interpret this more generally as a exhortation to idolaters, and that is fine. What greater idol than the self is there in this age? However, in the context of the following verse, it would appear Jonah is separating his heart, experiencing the circumcision of the heart.
What can be the sacrifice he makes? With a voice of thanksgiving, he offers up to the Lord his whole being. Remember, Jonah is not in the physical temple, and he has no convenient fatted calf or bullock to offer. Perhaps a bit wet for the altar fire in the fishes gut as well. And yet with thankfulness he sacrifices. For myself, this is the natural man Jonah is laying down. And in that sacrifice, there is the experience of salvation.
I pondered long about "paying what I have vowed". By His life, through His ministry, I live and breath. What can I pay? What vow would stand? Any promise to God that is not of Christ, in Christ, and by His life will fail. My vow is to lay down the natural self day by day. Giving Him more room to grow inside, more area to transform. What else can we pay? Beyond the personal there is Jonah as living prophecy, for these words can be only spoken in complete truth by the Messiah, no one else is able to pay. Lord, speak them in me!
Finally the word of the Lord to the fish, and onto dry land Jonah is deposited. As a aside, I calculated that the fish could have dumped him anywhere along the coast in the area given three days of swimming. Even slow Baleen whales would range 100 miles per day. So my fevered brain asked the obvious, "How much of the grueling trek to Nineveh would be saved?" But alas, even with optimal vomiting of the fish, he would still need to walk ~400 miles.
From these verses, one of our members perceived thoughtful context for Jonah in the fish: "God put Jonah in a place where he could see no salvation. He didn't call on God as a desperate plea for help, and say what he thinks God wants to hear, instead Jonah is ready and willing to sacrifice to the Lord. In that situation he receives salvation, no matter what the outcome of his personal ordeal. God puts Jonah back where he wants him, having taught him a lesson that he can pass on with conviction to others."
A lesson indeed! To let go of ourselves, and sacrifice to the Lord with thanksgiving! And in that God is faithful, delivering more life. What amazing love, that He would lead us in life, lead us in His walk. Praise God!
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Ask for the curse to be broken over all under affliction. Especially that we would see the healing of stricken ones in our midst. Thank God for opening the eyes of our hearts, that we may see His increasing Glory, that we may walk in the light.
Open questions:
Nothing comes to mind here this week.
Current topic:
Meditate on Jonah 3:1-4 seeking what the Spirit is revealing to us in this time. How about the forty days? Can you picture the size of Nineveh?
Conclusion:
Bless every saint you meet this week. May the Spirit well up in all with ever increasing love, even with that love He has for the bride. May we love the bride locally!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Jonah Prays!
Welcome to the seventh meeting! May you find the source of life in Him, and reject the distractions and substitutions the world offers this week. Our King rules the heavens, and this realm! Let's walk in His increasing glory.
We left Jonah in the belly of Sheol, on the verge of extinguishment from this realm of life. Now the writer, presumably Jonah, switches to first person. To me it almost seems self deprecating "Jonah said ..." then when things are dire "I said ..." For some reason I like this switch in tense, this poetic movement, yet can't put my finger on why it is so appealing.
To be cast out from before God's sight. Out of His sight. Sheol, the dead realm separated from life, no longer part of the 'now', this is not where God directs His attention. Yet even for me today, experientially, the dead things in the word are not of His concern. If I embroil myself in corrupt things, I can not live in His presence. And His concern is with life, spreading eternal life, drawing each one closer to Himself. I must not eat of the world or dwell in judgement of the world, in condemnation of dead things, but focus upon Him, and the flow of eternal life.
Looking again for the holy temple implies that Jonah perceives that temple as the heavenly reality. He is looking, inside perhaps, as before in his life to the spiritual expression of the Eternal's presence. I believe Jonah is looking with the eyes of his heart. Turning to the Lord inside.
Death surrounded Jonah's vitality. Cut off from the source of life, physically, in the soul, and cast out from God. My concern today is with the soul. As a Christian, I fall into the trap of judging whether something is good or bad simply if it is Christian or not. But there is a whole realm of cultural Christianity out there, mimicking the world. This trap is doubly bad, as I am judging for myself, not based on the flow of life, but on what I can know. All the while building a dead religious shell. It is easy to separate from what you see as obviously detrimental, but even the natural man perceives this as well. It takes the opening of the eyes of my heart to see what is life giving, irregardless of label or context.
The weeds that wrap around the head are those entanglements which bind our thinking, cloud our vision, cover the face. The countenance is obscured, the mind is trapped by decay. We can not see, and none can see the life inside of us. For myself, music once had this effect. If I heard even one short bar of certain songs they would stick in my mind all day, sucking life. By the transforming power of the cross I was healed of that affliction. I discover life in many songs and types of music now, without worry. Conversely I find little in modern Christian pop music. That is no judgement, or condemnation, simply my experience. Others are totally different, all to His glory for diversity. I would exhort each however, to seek desperately the source of life no matter what your taste!
Now this 'going down to the bottoms of the mountains' is such a wondrous picture! In the physical world, the base of the greatest mountain is at the bottom of the ocean (basically the whole Big Island of Hawaii). How fantastic is that! Yet Jonah did not sink down in the physically as such, it was the base of civilization (besides, he was in the Mediterranean). Separated from the societies of living people, the 'mountains' common in the prophets metaphors. He was brought to the vanishing point, the edge of human civilization.
And yet God has brought Jonah's life up from the pit. Save from the trap of death. His vitality was preserved by God, restored to the realm of life. Notice it was not simply, "God saved me from drowning in the ocean." Jonah is prophesying still, of the true ministry our Lord performed. Jesus went beneath the 'base of the hills', beyond this realm, even the foundations of human society.
Now comes one of my favorite verses anywhere, Jonah 2:7: "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple." Oh how glorious is our God! Ponder dear ones, this verse carefully. If the soul has fainted, the vitality, the life emptied, from where did Jonah call? His inner man cried out! The Eternal was brought to mind, at the edge of death. And Jonah's prayer went to God, even into the dwelling and presence of God. Certainly Jonah has an perception of the dwelling of God beyond the physical temple in Jerusalem.
This is the gospel, even the core of Jesus ministry. I can not enter, have nothing worthwhile in and of myself. Yet the Eternal has given me new life. Come inside my spirit, caused it to arise. In my spirit I can come before the Lord. In the corrupted natural man, I have been baptised into His death on the cross. The execution of Jesus works its way out in my soul. Rendering dead piece by piece, and replacing anew with the mind of Christ, the will of God, even the heart of flesh. Some days it is the experience of Jonah, perhaps many times. Yet we can come! The Spirit calls us forward to more life.
Where is His temple now? How do we practically experience this temple? Jesus inhabits His body, universally, regionally, citywide, and in yours and my local fellowship. And I can experience the temple life daily by expressing, even practicing the body locally. One of the greatest ways of practicing this local body life is to let your prayers be heard together. I love to hear your prayers, to agree in faith with you. I want to pray in Him with you, to let my prayers enter the temple. Praise God for revealing Himself, and His nature in the scriptures!
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Lord, open my eyes to see You, to see Your local expression of Your body. Release a overflowing measure of eternal life upon all who read these words, upon all who meet here now and in the future. Fill us with Your words, Your burdens for this day, in this locality. Well up in us to overflowing, to spread life around to all whom we know and meet.
Open questions:
Membership drive! Know anyone who might enjoy reading? Send along an address and I will pleasantly invite.
Current topic:
Meditate on Jonah 2:8-10 with the focus of Salvation. There are a few interesting concepts in these verses, let's see where the Spirit leads us.
Conclusion:
Perhaps forgive my wordiness this week. I have loved this section for a long time, and have trouble being terse. Also, no one sent any ideas, so I went off a bit. By all means, even if it is the shortest of comments, feel free to jump in. More life is better!
We left Jonah in the belly of Sheol, on the verge of extinguishment from this realm of life. Now the writer, presumably Jonah, switches to first person. To me it almost seems self deprecating "Jonah said ..." then when things are dire "I said ..." For some reason I like this switch in tense, this poetic movement, yet can't put my finger on why it is so appealing.
To be cast out from before God's sight. Out of His sight. Sheol, the dead realm separated from life, no longer part of the 'now', this is not where God directs His attention. Yet even for me today, experientially, the dead things in the word are not of His concern. If I embroil myself in corrupt things, I can not live in His presence. And His concern is with life, spreading eternal life, drawing each one closer to Himself. I must not eat of the world or dwell in judgement of the world, in condemnation of dead things, but focus upon Him, and the flow of eternal life.
Looking again for the holy temple implies that Jonah perceives that temple as the heavenly reality. He is looking, inside perhaps, as before in his life to the spiritual expression of the Eternal's presence. I believe Jonah is looking with the eyes of his heart. Turning to the Lord inside.
Death surrounded Jonah's vitality. Cut off from the source of life, physically, in the soul, and cast out from God. My concern today is with the soul. As a Christian, I fall into the trap of judging whether something is good or bad simply if it is Christian or not. But there is a whole realm of cultural Christianity out there, mimicking the world. This trap is doubly bad, as I am judging for myself, not based on the flow of life, but on what I can know. All the while building a dead religious shell. It is easy to separate from what you see as obviously detrimental, but even the natural man perceives this as well. It takes the opening of the eyes of my heart to see what is life giving, irregardless of label or context.
The weeds that wrap around the head are those entanglements which bind our thinking, cloud our vision, cover the face. The countenance is obscured, the mind is trapped by decay. We can not see, and none can see the life inside of us. For myself, music once had this effect. If I heard even one short bar of certain songs they would stick in my mind all day, sucking life. By the transforming power of the cross I was healed of that affliction. I discover life in many songs and types of music now, without worry. Conversely I find little in modern Christian pop music. That is no judgement, or condemnation, simply my experience. Others are totally different, all to His glory for diversity. I would exhort each however, to seek desperately the source of life no matter what your taste!
Now this 'going down to the bottoms of the mountains' is such a wondrous picture! In the physical world, the base of the greatest mountain is at the bottom of the ocean (basically the whole Big Island of Hawaii). How fantastic is that! Yet Jonah did not sink down in the physically as such, it was the base of civilization (besides, he was in the Mediterranean). Separated from the societies of living people, the 'mountains' common in the prophets metaphors. He was brought to the vanishing point, the edge of human civilization.
And yet God has brought Jonah's life up from the pit. Save from the trap of death. His vitality was preserved by God, restored to the realm of life. Notice it was not simply, "God saved me from drowning in the ocean." Jonah is prophesying still, of the true ministry our Lord performed. Jesus went beneath the 'base of the hills', beyond this realm, even the foundations of human society.
Now comes one of my favorite verses anywhere, Jonah 2:7: "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple." Oh how glorious is our God! Ponder dear ones, this verse carefully. If the soul has fainted, the vitality, the life emptied, from where did Jonah call? His inner man cried out! The Eternal was brought to mind, at the edge of death. And Jonah's prayer went to God, even into the dwelling and presence of God. Certainly Jonah has an perception of the dwelling of God beyond the physical temple in Jerusalem.
This is the gospel, even the core of Jesus ministry. I can not enter, have nothing worthwhile in and of myself. Yet the Eternal has given me new life. Come inside my spirit, caused it to arise. In my spirit I can come before the Lord. In the corrupted natural man, I have been baptised into His death on the cross. The execution of Jesus works its way out in my soul. Rendering dead piece by piece, and replacing anew with the mind of Christ, the will of God, even the heart of flesh. Some days it is the experience of Jonah, perhaps many times. Yet we can come! The Spirit calls us forward to more life.
Where is His temple now? How do we practically experience this temple? Jesus inhabits His body, universally, regionally, citywide, and in yours and my local fellowship. And I can experience the temple life daily by expressing, even practicing the body locally. One of the greatest ways of practicing this local body life is to let your prayers be heard together. I love to hear your prayers, to agree in faith with you. I want to pray in Him with you, to let my prayers enter the temple. Praise God for revealing Himself, and His nature in the scriptures!
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Lord, open my eyes to see You, to see Your local expression of Your body. Release a overflowing measure of eternal life upon all who read these words, upon all who meet here now and in the future. Fill us with Your words, Your burdens for this day, in this locality. Well up in us to overflowing, to spread life around to all whom we know and meet.
Open questions:
Membership drive! Know anyone who might enjoy reading? Send along an address and I will pleasantly invite.
Current topic:
Meditate on Jonah 2:8-10 with the focus of Salvation. There are a few interesting concepts in these verses, let's see where the Spirit leads us.
Conclusion:
Perhaps forgive my wordiness this week. I have loved this section for a long time, and have trouble being terse. Also, no one sent any ideas, so I went off a bit. By all means, even if it is the shortest of comments, feel free to jump in. More life is better!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Belly of Sheol
Welcome to the sixth meeting! We now delve into the fabulous prayer of Jonah. I particularly appreciate this for its scope and sense of spirit. For myself, Jonah stands up inside to call upon God, and submits his soul to the Eternal. I want to follow that example each day... Before Jonah's supplication though, we left a hook out in Jonah 1:17.
Yes, there is this fish, or whale, that is designated to swallow up Jonah. Now Jonah himself gives his interpretation of the fish in a bit, so we need not worry about speculations. But as an aside, this is one of the favorite contentious miracles argued and debated between various believers and non-believers for many centuries. I love bumping into these arguments today, because it affords a great opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus, even the execution of the natural man. Here is my personal line: what is more miraculous, a fish or whale that preserves Jonah, or Christ rising from the dead? Is a unique creature, or three days in the belly thereof, even close to the raised up body He possesses?
One who argues against the miracle of Jonah, whether atheist or interpreter of Jonah as a vision and not experience, is likely ensnared by the natural mind. Irregardless of miracle or vision, the trap is the action of argument, determining what is 'right', the judging of correctness. Yet my source of life comes through the cross, by His ministry and ascension. And that word of the cross, the death of the corrupt man, and our reckoning as dead through Him is the word of power!
Jonah makes the statement "belly of Sheol" to describe his predicament. So no trouble for us, the whale to Jonah is death realized. As for Sheol, I really appreciate the passage in Numbers 16:30 with Moses' prophesy:
Yet in Sheol, in the belly of the fish, Jonah lives on. And he calls, cries out to the Lord. He calls upon the Everlasting, our God, who hears Jonah's voice, who answers even one reckoned dead. Aren't we surrounded by death sometimes? The presence of the Lord seems unreachable, and we feel like we have been swallowed up in dead things. I get like that at work some days. Nothing around seems living, it is all dead. Yet the Messiah went further than Jonah, traversed the boundary into the depths of Sheol. Extended His hand into a darkness unknowable to me.
I believe the Lord called in a similar way unto the Father, that this word by Jonah continues in a prophetic way. Called from the deepest darkness and was heard. What a amazing God we serve! Yielding His body, suppressing His self, allowing the wrath to be poured out on His flesh.
Jonah now makes the statement,"For thou didst cast me into the depth, ..." So it wasn't those superstitious, idol worshiping sailors after all! It was God who threw Jonah overboard. Now for myself, this is a interesting point. The Pharisees in the gospels were the primary vehicle for delivering the Messiah up. The leaders, even the priests of God's chosen people. And yet Roman soldiers actually performed the act. Yet it is God who makes the sacrifice. This is a deep mystery, wonderful and to His eternal glory.
The final picture this week is "waves and billows", billows being great surges. In many places throughout scripture, I see waves as pictures of death, or as representing the wrath of God. Psalm 42 has this image as well, and ends with a magnificent verse:
That is my goal in the coming week, to command my soul to hope in God, to praise Him in my spirit.
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
How full is full? Lord fill us beyond what we know, beyond expectation and imagination. Open our eyes to Your working, to Your supply of life towards us. Our desire towards You is ever increasing, come be our satisfaction today!
Open questions:
Has anyone thought about the times when the Lord has made the sacrifice in the O.T. much?
Current topic:
Let us look at Jonah 2:4-7 with a inquisitiveness about the inward turning of Jonah towards the Lord. How does this lead us?
Conclusion:
Thank you to everyone who is reading along. Your comments and suggestions are full of life. May the seed He scatters find fertile ground in our hearts, and bring forth spiritual fruit for the nourishment of the body, and life to lead those around us towards the light.
Yes, there is this fish, or whale, that is designated to swallow up Jonah. Now Jonah himself gives his interpretation of the fish in a bit, so we need not worry about speculations. But as an aside, this is one of the favorite contentious miracles argued and debated between various believers and non-believers for many centuries. I love bumping into these arguments today, because it affords a great opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus, even the execution of the natural man. Here is my personal line: what is more miraculous, a fish or whale that preserves Jonah, or Christ rising from the dead? Is a unique creature, or three days in the belly thereof, even close to the raised up body He possesses?
One who argues against the miracle of Jonah, whether atheist or interpreter of Jonah as a vision and not experience, is likely ensnared by the natural mind. Irregardless of miracle or vision, the trap is the action of argument, determining what is 'right', the judging of correctness. Yet my source of life comes through the cross, by His ministry and ascension. And that word of the cross, the death of the corrupt man, and our reckoning as dead through Him is the word of power!
Jonah makes the statement "belly of Sheol" to describe his predicament. So no trouble for us, the whale to Jonah is death realized. As for Sheol, I really appreciate the passage in Numbers 16:30 with Moses' prophesy:
"But if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then ye shall understand that these men have despised Jehovah."You may recall soon after that the earth opened up and swallowed them. Sheol is the end, the depths of the earth, the pit.
Yet in Sheol, in the belly of the fish, Jonah lives on. And he calls, cries out to the Lord. He calls upon the Everlasting, our God, who hears Jonah's voice, who answers even one reckoned dead. Aren't we surrounded by death sometimes? The presence of the Lord seems unreachable, and we feel like we have been swallowed up in dead things. I get like that at work some days. Nothing around seems living, it is all dead. Yet the Messiah went further than Jonah, traversed the boundary into the depths of Sheol. Extended His hand into a darkness unknowable to me.
I believe the Lord called in a similar way unto the Father, that this word by Jonah continues in a prophetic way. Called from the deepest darkness and was heard. What a amazing God we serve! Yielding His body, suppressing His self, allowing the wrath to be poured out on His flesh.
Jonah now makes the statement,
The final picture this week is "waves and billows", billows being great surges. In many places throughout scripture, I see waves as pictures of death, or as representing the wrath of God. Psalm 42 has this image as well, and ends with a magnificent verse:
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God."I can sense the same spirit in Jonah, his inner man rising up, commanding his soul to praise God, even in the midst of death.
That is my goal in the coming week, to command my soul to hope in God, to praise Him in my spirit.
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
How full is full? Lord fill us beyond what we know, beyond expectation and imagination. Open our eyes to Your working, to Your supply of life towards us. Our desire towards You is ever increasing, come be our satisfaction today!
Open questions:
Has anyone thought about the times when the Lord has made the sacrifice in the O.T. much?
Current topic:
Let us look at Jonah 2:4-7 with a inquisitiveness about the inward turning of Jonah towards the Lord. How does this lead us?
Conclusion:
Thank you to everyone who is reading along. Your comments and suggestions are full of life. May the seed He scatters find fertile ground in our hearts, and bring forth spiritual fruit for the nourishment of the body, and life to lead those around us towards the light.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Jonah thrown overboard!
For Jonah 1:13-16
I prepared myself in the morning, calm, ready for what the Lord had in store for the day, and then the questions. And the circus troupe (my three daughters) started practicing. And the air conditioner hose broke on the car. Oh, the soles fell off my boots as well. Do you wonder sometimes why so many things can pummel us at times? These things I would never worry about. Many similar things happen each day, so what is it about when we notice? Especially when we get riled up inside, exasperated by those close to us, even poked at by the world.
Well, at times this is the Lord. He pulls back grace and allows us to be exposed. The winds howl, the waves break over the gunnels, and everything inside is tossed about. At times this is the path of transformation, of obtaining new life inside. The working of Christ's magnificent ministry in us practically. He loves us so much that He works these situations to mold us and craft us into the expression of Jesus. His effort is towards us growing up in love.
But what do we do? Well, I naturally 'row towards shore' as a first instinct. Yes, loving father that I am, I think "Gotta go get coffee, alone." Or perhaps "Time to work!" Maybe "Shopping trip, see you all in a while." Sometimes the situation is bigger, more complicated. A friend has changed to a personal irritation, and you can't find life in the relationship. Or someone at work has targeted you as the 'straight man', or the end of all things that roll down hill. Yet the answer is the same. Our natural man wants to find safety, escape the torment.
We spend great effort to reach shore. Yet imagine those sailors, rowing furiously into a gale. That is painful, and strenuous! All is vain, empty work and wasted time when it is the hand of the Lord. He is ever at our side, guiding and protecting us. If you suddenly wake up to a situation where the inner man questions "Where are you Lord?", consider that He is ready to do a work in you. Don't prolong the storm. Simply yield to the hand of God, and let Him guide you to the altar.
His ministry comes to us. It was because of our transgression that He died, yet He did not kill Himself. Just as Jonah did not jump overboard, the priest of Israel, the leaders of God's people had Him crucified. Enter in to that same sacrifice, laying down the natural man, who is reckoned dead in Him, and He replaces inside with that which is not corrupt. We must work at the altar. Respond to the word of God. In essence, you are responsible for the offering. It can be no other way.
"The sea ceased from raging." You know what to do now! Praise Him with every praise! Dedicate yourself to following after that new life He has filled you with. The sailors 'feared' the Lord greatly. We know that in the presence of perfection, we have no right to stand, yet He stands up within us. I find that same fear, not of foreboding doom as under the law, but of no self justification whatsoever. Complete reliance upon His life is a fearful path, but one of great freedom!
As for my 'calm day', it was not until my evening session that He exposed my twisting and turning. To lay down and let Him fill us with love, especially for those around us who irritate at times, goes deep into the building of the body. More love to us! And less of me...
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
On Wednesday we will be praying for the city of Honolulu. Prepare your heart, ask the Lord for specific burdens to give you. Lift up those who we have touched with the gospel, that He would open a door for the word into their hearts.
Open questions:
Should we revisit this section separately, or move on? There is a whole bunch of teaching to be had here, but I really want to dig into Jonah's prayer...
Current topic:
Now we transition into some imagery and concepts that need time to soak in the Spirit. I suggest reading the whole prayer of Jonah a couple of times, on different days. For the next meeting, lets just look at Jonah 1:17 and 2:1-3 with the idea of understanding what is the whale, what is Sheol, what are the waves and billows. Also, we see the first testimony from Jonah that this whole situation is crafted by God. Lets try to find some similar references, or experiences.
Conclusion:
Lord, open our eyes to the life. Even the eyes of our hearts to follow You in coming together. Make us see the body, recognize the needs of the bride. And be that supply in us for her.
I prepared myself in the morning, calm, ready for what the Lord had in store for the day, and then the questions. And the circus troupe (my three daughters) started practicing. And the air conditioner hose broke on the car. Oh, the soles fell off my boots as well. Do you wonder sometimes why so many things can pummel us at times? These things I would never worry about. Many similar things happen each day, so what is it about when we notice? Especially when we get riled up inside, exasperated by those close to us, even poked at by the world.
Well, at times this is the Lord. He pulls back grace and allows us to be exposed. The winds howl, the waves break over the gunnels, and everything inside is tossed about. At times this is the path of transformation, of obtaining new life inside. The working of Christ's magnificent ministry in us practically. He loves us so much that He works these situations to mold us and craft us into the expression of Jesus. His effort is towards us growing up in love.
But what do we do? Well, I naturally 'row towards shore' as a first instinct. Yes, loving father that I am, I think "Gotta go get coffee, alone." Or perhaps "Time to work!" Maybe "Shopping trip, see you all in a while." Sometimes the situation is bigger, more complicated. A friend has changed to a personal irritation, and you can't find life in the relationship. Or someone at work has targeted you as the 'straight man', or the end of all things that roll down hill. Yet the answer is the same. Our natural man wants to find safety, escape the torment.
We spend great effort to reach shore. Yet imagine those sailors, rowing furiously into a gale. That is painful, and strenuous! All is vain, empty work and wasted time when it is the hand of the Lord. He is ever at our side, guiding and protecting us. If you suddenly wake up to a situation where the inner man questions "Where are you Lord?", consider that He is ready to do a work in you. Don't prolong the storm. Simply yield to the hand of God, and let Him guide you to the altar.
His ministry comes to us. It was because of our transgression that He died, yet He did not kill Himself. Just as Jonah did not jump overboard, the priest of Israel, the leaders of God's people had Him crucified. Enter in to that same sacrifice, laying down the natural man, who is reckoned dead in Him, and He replaces inside with that which is not corrupt. We must work at the altar. Respond to the word of God. In essence, you are responsible for the offering. It can be no other way.
"The sea ceased from raging." You know what to do now! Praise Him with every praise! Dedicate yourself to following after that new life He has filled you with. The sailors 'feared' the Lord greatly. We know that in the presence of perfection, we have no right to stand, yet He stands up within us. I find that same fear, not of foreboding doom as under the law, but of no self justification whatsoever. Complete reliance upon His life is a fearful path, but one of great freedom!
As for my 'calm day', it was not until my evening session that He exposed my twisting and turning. To lay down and let Him fill us with love, especially for those around us who irritate at times, goes deep into the building of the body. More love to us! And less of me...
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
On Wednesday we will be praying for the city of Honolulu. Prepare your heart, ask the Lord for specific burdens to give you. Lift up those who we have touched with the gospel, that He would open a door for the word into their hearts.
Open questions:
Should we revisit this section separately, or move on? There is a whole bunch of teaching to be had here, but I really want to dig into Jonah's prayer...
Current topic:
Now we transition into some imagery and concepts that need time to soak in the Spirit. I suggest reading the whole prayer of Jonah a couple of times, on different days. For the next meeting, lets just look at Jonah 1:17 and 2:1-3 with the idea of understanding what is the whale, what is Sheol, what are the waves and billows. Also, we see the first testimony from Jonah that this whole situation is crafted by God. Lets try to find some similar references, or experiences.
Conclusion:
Lord, open our eyes to the life. Even the eyes of our hearts to follow You in coming together. Make us see the body, recognize the needs of the bride. And be that supply in us for her.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
