Greetings to all! The game is afoot! What amazing path will be opened to us by the Spirit? He is so faithful, and has such a great love towards us. Each day is brand new for those who count Jesus as friend. I was blessed by the Lord, to have a few independent pieces come together. The theme and direction it seems for us is to find out what is the will of God. By that, what do we do actively, and what do we wait for. How do we know what we are spending our time and effort in is aligned with His will? And can we get in deeper (perhaps beyond our imagination!), penetrate through the activities of modern Christianity, and touch His power?
I believe it is for us to experience, the quickening of His purpose in this time, in this city. So in praying about these lofty question, one book came to the forefront, the book of Ruth. Hopefully everyone reading along and contributing will be placed in the flow of life as we find out our relationship to His will.
As we are transitioning, I might as well present my spiel and disclaimer again. The disclaimer is very comprehensive: believe only the Spirit inside of you. Live by that witness. If I go off on some academic tangent, or spill into flawed theology, my apologies beforehand. This is not a quest of knowledge, or display of mental machinations. We are here to find life. If you find life, share it! If you don't find life here, do something else that is fruitful! By all means, and at every opportunity, seek life. I am very hungry for spiritual meat, and strong drink that comes from His table. You are the ones who can get that meal, and share it with myself and everyone else you meet with. Praise God for that supply of life!
For the promotion side, forward any of these along to someone you might think is interested. We can accommodate plenty more. And if someone is interested in editing or learning about HTML and blogging, there are a few things that can be done with our material now. Feel free to inquire. These are easy non-time consuming tasks, and if you are planning on doing some writing, can be great training. Ok, enough of that, lets get started with the meeting.
I got a great question about where to go next after Jonah from a faith filled reader here. It was right in line with what the Spirit was speaking to me: "... knowing when we must heed God's call to action and when we should be still and know that God is in control." There was a clear witness in my spirit about this being the direction to go next. Then two other saints within a few days raised the same basic question. I love how He makes things clear to us. This is the first lesson in His will! If you think you are hearing something from the Spirit, that same Spirit lives in the saints in the body. He will speak it to you through them, and more than once.
We need not rely upon ourselves, nor upon another man, for our guidance. Rely upon Christ in the body. Rely upon the Spirit in the believers in the body where you meet. I have never been led astray by that choice of council. Even in things that were hard to hear, or strange in my understanding. He has never left something undone if I am open to the practical council of the Spirit in reality.
Now for the book of Ruth, you may have had a brief second of "What?" Don't worry, I did as well. But the unfolding of this book has already begun in my inner man, and it is pure glory to Him. So much in there about what He really wants, and how we know we are in His will. Amazing, I can't wait to hear all the riches you will find in this book. If you are unfamiliar with the story, or have not read Ruth in a long time, it is quick, and has a plot structure making it easy for us to access at first. Read the whole thing this week, and get ready for what the Spirit will be speaking in your heart.
The first verse sets the stage for where things are, and what the state of the people of God is. Throughout this book, there are many times we will compare the natural and the promise of faith. The physical (descendants) people of God vs. the innumerable children of Abraham through faith. It all begins in the first verse where a man of Bethlehem Judah left his people and went to Moab. It is the time of judges, and famine has come upon the land. This period had a few bright spots, but the age of judges was not particularly one of following the Lord closely. However, it would be presumptuous to link the famine with failure in the camp, take it as you see it.
At this verse it is quite pleasing that place names and condition come together. In fact, throughout the book of Ruth, many names are "statements of condition" that contribute to the picture. So we have from "Praising God in the House of Bread" (Bethlehem Judah) a presumably hungry man who sets out. He heads to the land of Lot's descendants of illegitimacy (Moab). The result for this man isn't great. So for a simplistic end, praise God in His house! Don't leave! Sometimes I get hungry, even in His house, so I must find more of Him! And praise the Father there is never a famine where we are, in this Kingdom.
By this we find the first component of His will in Ruth. He wants us to be in His house, and He wants to feed us. I believe it is His will for me and all who call upon the name of Jesus.
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
I want to thank Him in the assembly, for being faithful to shake us free of ourselves. I get absorbed in work, and kids, and my own mentality... Then go for days without being completely open with my friend and King. Yet He loves us far beyond our expectations! Thank you Lord. Please everyone, consider now the afflicted you know. Many are dealing with viruses and infections, and some we know are fighting daily for physical life itself. Enter into the throne room, with supplication on behalf of each. He is our physician, and amazingly, appointments are readily available. There is no waiting room at the office, and you can even get help for someone else while you're there!
Open questions:
Any last threads to wrap up with Jonah? The last message was a bit disjoint, and the conclusion was as stark as Jonah itself. If you want something answered, or need more consideration of what went down with the word from God to Jonah, send a note along. It was powerful for me, and will soak inside for a while.
Current topic:
Lets read Ruth 1:1-4 and get into the book. Actually, it would be good to read the whole book, as some sections are in a literary style, and may go by fast. Enjoy the word!
Conclusion:
Be filled in love! I hope that each will enjoy Ruth, and get hungry for all the riches He has for us. May your week be abundant in eternal life, and may your eyes be open each day to all the good things He prepared for you.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
No More Need to Struggle
Salutation and blessing! It is the end of the road for the book of Jonah, and what a great journey. I have received such wonderful sustenance in this book, with mysteries unveiled, many new revelations of the abounding glory, what can I do but praise our King? My prayer and desire for each that have read, contributed, or will find this in the future is that the Spirit would highlight the path leading to more eternal life for you personally as well as corporately for those you meet with. May we join together in His house at the table as brothers and sisters, even co-inheritors of the Kingdom with our Messiah and Saviour!
Now Jonah, the man who was miraculously used as a living prophesy, even saved from the depths of darkness, responded to the word of God and walked in that word. Yet the outcome of His ministry in Nineveh, the practical reality of his service, did not fit his expectations. He was delivered from death, and called to a incredible work, through which many men responded, yet it did not fit Jonah's expectation. The outcome was not as Jonah intended. He parks himself off to the east of the city in his own hut. More importantly, he takes the helm of his own heart, apparently turning away from God in anger and frustration.
Can this happen to us? Saved, delivered, living in the life. Worshipping God, living with His people. Then called to a work, called to step out in faith and serve God in an amazing way. Has this happened to you? I believe it is His pleasure to lead us in amazing works. Especially works that are impossible for us. In my own life, in my inner man, I found that it is very liberating to view those things around me with this perspective: "Could I have done this by myself?" My first thought some days is that I could not make it through a whole hour with peace if I were in charge!
This type of perspective is a winnower of faith. From the simple to the complicated, it quickly exposes the heart, and draws me towards trusting, believing, even relying upon the limitless energy in Christ. For example, my mind specializes in criticism, exploration, and evaluation. I am horrible at focusing on a topic where there is no stimulation in these areas. So even the act of returning to a specific subject, like Jonah for instance, over and over again, with focus and consideration, is not something I could do naturally. And to ice that argument, throw in ADHD and my naturally ponderous, wandering, obfuscatory palaver and we definitely have a miracle from God!
Likewise, any man could have wandered the streets of Nineveh proclaiming destruction. Given a hundred thousand people, I bet you could go to a similar city and find twenty or thirty people in various mental states proclaiming destruction for all. But it was the word of God Jonah delivered, and no man can do that in himself. What a wonderful thing, we have been called to speak that word! Each of us, by faith, are set apart for good works, to speak life into each other and the world.
Now for the subsequent experience of Jonah, that of his own heart, of his expectations. I have been in a similar place, and undoubtedly will be there again. For some this may be in the individuals realm of expectation, be it money, life choices, jobs, friends, any of the personal concerns in this world. My faithful encouragement is that He loves to provide for us, everything we need. But the concerns of personal life are minor, and pass away quickly in time. The concern of the Kingdom, the will of God, this is our hearts deep desire to attend to.
In that I have been like Jonah at times. Seeking to be useful to Him, to move in life, to see Him move in this realm. And when it happens, when it is the Spirit moving, how incredible the response in my heart! My spirit worships Him in response to His love, His moving. Yet feelings fade, expectations are not what I imagine, "... life goes on ..." Even the patience required to believe in the promise when there is nothing in sight can wane. All can accumulate in my heart, and cause frustration. Oh, it is so easy to fool myself as well! To worship Him, pray and read. To love my family and the saints. To love the lost around me. All this He will do in me, yet at the same time my heart is wrestling over something. Struggling with the Lord.
Yes, in this place, this time, the dawn breaks, light comes streaming in. Perhaps even a sultry wind blows, causing great discomfort inside. There is no strength left to struggle with Him, the frustration leads to fainting of the heart. Jonah was ready to perish again. Proclaiming his justification, stating his argument one last futile time. No matter, it was the end. For us, the body of believers, that end is in Christ. He was executed for such a struggle between the natural man and the Eternal. And we enter into that death. We can proclaim it in faith and by experience, "I have been baptised into His death!"
All of our dreams, our promises, even the hope in Christ must exist in faith. From the most practical of daily activities to the life changing decisions of great sacrifice, all is empty and transient unless He inhabits the path and provides the impetus. I believe that each step is at its core the same choice, irregardless of the circumstance, be it great or small. It is to actively choose eternal life, and actively lay down the natural self. It must be practical, it must be graspable, but it is in the Spirit that these seemingly foolish and simple ideas are unveiled. Even so, we have such a wonderful God, that He provided pictures of how this works, even speaking clearly to our hearts. Open our ears to hear Lord!
The knife blade, even the scalpel of God came upon the heart of Jonah. The Eternal spoke to Jonah, revealing Jonah's deficiency. Jonah's joy, his relief came form a plant raised in darkness. The same plant perished in darkness. It was miraculous, but it was not the light of the world. It was God moving, but not His abiding presence. Jonah's heart was filled with joy, yet tied to the dead realm.
Let me speculate for a moment. I claim no new doctrine, or special interpretation here! Use your built in life-o-meter in all that you read. There are two men. One man comes form the earth, and the other comes from heaven. There are two people in time, a natural, physical people of God, and those who enter into the New Kingdom. The God of Abraham, raised up a nation, a people out of darkness, by miracles and wonders. Delivered them from captivity. Yet they perished in darkness. Even the miracle of Moses, the holy law handed down, did not save them.
Why make this parallel? Why did God compare a gourd to a city full of the enemies of Israel? Is the life in the gourd the metaphor, or the life in the city? Or is the even more striking reasoning of God this: He gave consideration for them, being no better or worse than the nation of Israel that Jonah has tied his heart to, and even gave consideration to their beasts. Yes, there is verse in Ecclesiastes 3:18,19 which reveals to us there is one end for all, man (be he Assyrian or Hebrew) and beast, and that is death. Please enjoy the time to read that insightful passage and ponder it in this context.
Even here it seems what the Lord has shown Jonah in parallel is that Israel also knows not its right hand from its left (perhaps even Jonah has not discerned well the moving of God at this time...). What is this? A child has not yet learned cleanliness, and cannot remember what hand is for wiping (the left in ancient days). A child can not discern what is foul waste from clean purity. Likewise, the natural man does not know what is of the Spirit, can not discern the movement of God form the spirit of the world. He is born in darkness and perishes in the same place, eaten by the worm.
Hallelujah! That is it! One of the starkest endings to any book in the scriptures. But I am changed by this word. I am driven by this word, transformed by it. Jonah lived. All the implications of that are amazing, and even more so that this book was written, and ended in such spiritually forceful way. The natural man can not enter into the ministry of this word, can not lay hold of it, perceives it as foolish and trite. Even the scholar could discount what is contained in these last two verses as a simple comparison.
But He has pierced into the heart. I have frustrating things, even as I write, that are difficult to let go of. Expectations of His promises over my life. The desire to find those open hearts in Him, that supply of riches. Even practical attachments to empty practices in our modern culture, be it labeled secular or Christian. Praise the Father of all we see and know for providing a way, even His very son, to enter into eternal peace. We have no more need to struggle. Believe it! And remember, Jonah lived on... perhaps to wrestle with God again on a different day (though not recorded). Oh how He loves us! We are in Christ beyond the struggle.
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Can you pick someone, a saint you know, and seek the Lord in a special way on their behalf this week? One name may come into your mind. Ask that the Spirit would come forward in them. Ask for a special anointing for them to bring forth life in the gathering of the faithful. Be specific, ask for a healing through them, or a prophesy, whatever He puts on your heart to ask for. Even that they would find some golden teaching for your benefit as well! Expect it to happen, believe for that one to function in a new spiritual capacity.
Open questions:
Last call for recommendations as to where we go next. I have some guidance now, but am very flexible and want to be sensitive to His leading. You can even send me those huge (or small) questions of great importance you want answered. We will see what wonders await.
Current topic:
We will find out next week what is current.
Conclusion:
Many thanks to all, Christ in you has made this alive!
Lord, draw near to each one, with that closeness, even the comfort that exceeds all. Let each enter into your dining hall. To enter in and rest, to eat with You, to recline next to you. Grab us by the hand, draw us into the chamber. Cause us to eat and drink. Oh how we need You! We can not live without You, without Your provision we fall away and perish. My spirit praises You. Father of all there is, what a perfect plan You set!
Now Jonah, the man who was miraculously used as a living prophesy, even saved from the depths of darkness, responded to the word of God and walked in that word. Yet the outcome of His ministry in Nineveh, the practical reality of his service, did not fit his expectations. He was delivered from death, and called to a incredible work, through which many men responded, yet it did not fit Jonah's expectation. The outcome was not as Jonah intended. He parks himself off to the east of the city in his own hut. More importantly, he takes the helm of his own heart, apparently turning away from God in anger and frustration.
Can this happen to us? Saved, delivered, living in the life. Worshipping God, living with His people. Then called to a work, called to step out in faith and serve God in an amazing way. Has this happened to you? I believe it is His pleasure to lead us in amazing works. Especially works that are impossible for us. In my own life, in my inner man, I found that it is very liberating to view those things around me with this perspective: "Could I have done this by myself?" My first thought some days is that I could not make it through a whole hour with peace if I were in charge!
This type of perspective is a winnower of faith. From the simple to the complicated, it quickly exposes the heart, and draws me towards trusting, believing, even relying upon the limitless energy in Christ. For example, my mind specializes in criticism, exploration, and evaluation. I am horrible at focusing on a topic where there is no stimulation in these areas. So even the act of returning to a specific subject, like Jonah for instance, over and over again, with focus and consideration, is not something I could do naturally. And to ice that argument, throw in ADHD and my naturally ponderous, wandering, obfuscatory palaver and we definitely have a miracle from God!
Likewise, any man could have wandered the streets of Nineveh proclaiming destruction. Given a hundred thousand people, I bet you could go to a similar city and find twenty or thirty people in various mental states proclaiming destruction for all. But it was the word of God Jonah delivered, and no man can do that in himself. What a wonderful thing, we have been called to speak that word! Each of us, by faith, are set apart for good works, to speak life into each other and the world.
Now for the subsequent experience of Jonah, that of his own heart, of his expectations. I have been in a similar place, and undoubtedly will be there again. For some this may be in the individuals realm of expectation, be it money, life choices, jobs, friends, any of the personal concerns in this world. My faithful encouragement is that He loves to provide for us, everything we need. But the concerns of personal life are minor, and pass away quickly in time. The concern of the Kingdom, the will of God, this is our hearts deep desire to attend to.
In that I have been like Jonah at times. Seeking to be useful to Him, to move in life, to see Him move in this realm. And when it happens, when it is the Spirit moving, how incredible the response in my heart! My spirit worships Him in response to His love, His moving. Yet feelings fade, expectations are not what I imagine, "... life goes on ..." Even the patience required to believe in the promise when there is nothing in sight can wane. All can accumulate in my heart, and cause frustration. Oh, it is so easy to fool myself as well! To worship Him, pray and read. To love my family and the saints. To love the lost around me. All this He will do in me, yet at the same time my heart is wrestling over something. Struggling with the Lord.
Yes, in this place, this time, the dawn breaks, light comes streaming in. Perhaps even a sultry wind blows, causing great discomfort inside. There is no strength left to struggle with Him, the frustration leads to fainting of the heart. Jonah was ready to perish again. Proclaiming his justification, stating his argument one last futile time. No matter, it was the end. For us, the body of believers, that end is in Christ. He was executed for such a struggle between the natural man and the Eternal. And we enter into that death. We can proclaim it in faith and by experience, "I have been baptised into His death!"
All of our dreams, our promises, even the hope in Christ must exist in faith. From the most practical of daily activities to the life changing decisions of great sacrifice, all is empty and transient unless He inhabits the path and provides the impetus. I believe that each step is at its core the same choice, irregardless of the circumstance, be it great or small. It is to actively choose eternal life, and actively lay down the natural self. It must be practical, it must be graspable, but it is in the Spirit that these seemingly foolish and simple ideas are unveiled. Even so, we have such a wonderful God, that He provided pictures of how this works, even speaking clearly to our hearts. Open our ears to hear Lord!
The knife blade, even the scalpel of God came upon the heart of Jonah. The Eternal spoke to Jonah, revealing Jonah's deficiency. Jonah's joy, his relief came form a plant raised in darkness. The same plant perished in darkness. It was miraculous, but it was not the light of the world. It was God moving, but not His abiding presence. Jonah's heart was filled with joy, yet tied to the dead realm.
Let me speculate for a moment. I claim no new doctrine, or special interpretation here! Use your built in life-o-meter in all that you read. There are two men. One man comes form the earth, and the other comes from heaven. There are two people in time, a natural, physical people of God, and those who enter into the New Kingdom. The God of Abraham, raised up a nation, a people out of darkness, by miracles and wonders. Delivered them from captivity. Yet they perished in darkness. Even the miracle of Moses, the holy law handed down, did not save them.
Why make this parallel? Why did God compare a gourd to a city full of the enemies of Israel? Is the life in the gourd the metaphor, or the life in the city? Or is the even more striking reasoning of God this: He gave consideration for them, being no better or worse than the nation of Israel that Jonah has tied his heart to, and even gave consideration to their beasts. Yes, there is verse in Ecclesiastes 3:18,19 which reveals to us there is one end for all, man (be he Assyrian or Hebrew) and beast, and that is death. Please enjoy the time to read that insightful passage and ponder it in this context.
Even here it seems what the Lord has shown Jonah in parallel is that Israel also knows not its right hand from its left (perhaps even Jonah has not discerned well the moving of God at this time...). What is this? A child has not yet learned cleanliness, and cannot remember what hand is for wiping (the left in ancient days). A child can not discern what is foul waste from clean purity. Likewise, the natural man does not know what is of the Spirit, can not discern the movement of God form the spirit of the world. He is born in darkness and perishes in the same place, eaten by the worm.
Hallelujah! That is it! One of the starkest endings to any book in the scriptures. But I am changed by this word. I am driven by this word, transformed by it. Jonah lived. All the implications of that are amazing, and even more so that this book was written, and ended in such spiritually forceful way. The natural man can not enter into the ministry of this word, can not lay hold of it, perceives it as foolish and trite. Even the scholar could discount what is contained in these last two verses as a simple comparison.
But He has pierced into the heart. I have frustrating things, even as I write, that are difficult to let go of. Expectations of His promises over my life. The desire to find those open hearts in Him, that supply of riches. Even practical attachments to empty practices in our modern culture, be it labeled secular or Christian. Praise the Father of all we see and know for providing a way, even His very son, to enter into eternal peace. We have no more need to struggle. Believe it! And remember, Jonah lived on... perhaps to wrestle with God again on a different day (though not recorded). Oh how He loves us! We are in Christ beyond the struggle.
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Can you pick someone, a saint you know, and seek the Lord in a special way on their behalf this week? One name may come into your mind. Ask that the Spirit would come forward in them. Ask for a special anointing for them to bring forth life in the gathering of the faithful. Be specific, ask for a healing through them, or a prophesy, whatever He puts on your heart to ask for. Even that they would find some golden teaching for your benefit as well! Expect it to happen, believe for that one to function in a new spiritual capacity.
Open questions:
Last call for recommendations as to where we go next. I have some guidance now, but am very flexible and want to be sensitive to His leading. You can even send me those huge (or small) questions of great importance you want answered. We will see what wonders await.
Current topic:
We will find out next week what is current.
Conclusion:
Many thanks to all, Christ in you has made this alive!
Lord, draw near to each one, with that closeness, even the comfort that exceeds all. Let each enter into your dining hall. To enter in and rest, to eat with You, to recline next to you. Grab us by the hand, draw us into the chamber. Cause us to eat and drink. Oh how we need You! We can not live without You, without Your provision we fall away and perish. My spirit praises You. Father of all there is, what a perfect plan You set!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Testing the Heart
Greetings to all! May your walk be filled with light this week. It is a time of testing, of digging deep into the Spirit to find that priceless flow, the energy and life that satisfies. I hope and pray that each one who receives the words here would find Him, and get a sustaining measure. We left Jonah last week in a troubled state, even disturbed enough to rashly call out to God for an end of it all. Our beloved Father replies to Jonah, inquiring if Jonah is justified in his anger. The word of God is exposing Jonah's heart, sidestepping all the details of Jonah's situation and revealing the condition of the heart.
This is the man whom God allowed to be sacrificed, and saved with a incredible miracle. Jonah's whole existence is credited to the Eternal. And can we recall the recent words of Jonah, "What I vow I will pay..." However, here we find Jonah in the throws of himself again. I get from this such faith. Our Father is crafting His son's life in us. I can not turn that work on or off. Just as it was impossible to save myself in the beginning, it is His hand, His work, for His pleasure to raise up in me the life of His son. And here is a prophet, who experienced miraculous salvation, that is now arguing with God about his unfortunate circumstance. Jonah could not escape himself. The anger was taking control of his heart.
Jonah heads off in a huff, to the east of the city and sits in the shade of a self constructed hut. There he intended to wait and see what would happen. This is my condition sometimes. I seek the Lord, asking for Him to move. Petitioning God for more life, for those I love and meet. Frequently He will move, but perhaps not how I wanted. I can get frustrated at not seeing the timing of His plan, and then stand back waiting to see what happens. But it is my own heart that He is transforming.
These feelings, sometimes anger, sometimes frustration, perhaps resentment at times, are like little tents inside of us. Our own little house, shielded from the light. A place were we can "enjoy" our own self righteousness. In this place our beloved Father loves us. He made it possible to escape the self, to come out of my self righteous emotional insulation. I lay these down on the altar, by the power of Christ, by His method that surpassed death itself.
The Eternal now performed a special miracle for Jonah with a shady vegetable. Consider for a moment the context, Jonah made a tent, and sat in the shade of it. Perhaps he was a lousy tent builder, and needed more shade. I prefer to think of this as a time line. He was going to wait out the forty days by my thinking. Being stubborn and obstinate myself, that is what I would do. And perhaps the hut was lashed about by the winds, or was made of flimsy sticks. We do not know, so I am speculating, but somehow, Jonah was in the scorching heat again, and God made to grow over Jonah a plant providing shade.
The ASV has this as "to deliver him (Jonah) from his evil case." So the situation Jonah was in became downright 'evil', or in a polite way, he was experiencing severe discomfort. I could construct the result of this miracle as "snatch away (his) discomfort". It is not good for the soul to stew away in anger. And here the Lord miraculously delivers Jonah from that discomfort. Jonah became exceedingly glad. Filled with glee and joy.
Have you experienced a miracle just for you? The Lord does such things! Miraculous delivery from our affliction. I am believing for that manifest reality even now. Our God has no favorites, simply His son. And by that love we are assured of miraculous things! Find more of Christ and miracles follow.
But Jonah did not budge. Glad as he was, his intention would still appear to be one of waiting for the prophesy to be fulfilled. He is still in conflict with God. Still letting anger lead him. Now I am not creating a reason for the worm, or implying that if Jonah left, some other result would have happened. This is just a simple possible context, let the Spirit guide you in truth. For me, when I give up my little house and let Him clean things up, I can stand in the light, with joy and thanksgiving. And that means truly letting go of the source of irritation, the cause of my anger or resentment.
Now in the morning, the Lord brought a worm to devour the miraculous plant. Jonah experienced great joy in the miracle of the Lord, and when that was taken away, he fell back into emotional doom. Was the Lord justified in this? Of course, yet the natural man's reaction is to question. But turn to the Spirit, and the initial word of God to Jonah, "Doest thou well to be angry?" The Eternal's concern is with the heart of Jonah, so Jonah's apparent joy was tested. The core of Jonah's anger, the source of his disappointment and frustration needed to be exposed. Even in the joy of Jonah's personal miracle he held on to hidden anger.
I have been in that place, where at every turn my mind and heart questions "Why Lord?" We can not judge how He gets to the depths of our soul, how He exposes what we are hiding. Both for His work in our lives, and in those around us. Even miracles taken away, blessing that withers, these are not always circumstantial. He loves us, and will do everything in that love to bring us closer to Him. Consider that from the perspective of His love, drawing us close is more important than our circumstance. It is the Fathers pleasure to see us grow in Christ.
Our wonderful God looked deep into Jonah, because of His love. That same love looks into us, praise God!
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Pray for the ones we know who are hurting from loss. Ask for the surpassing comfort that He can provide to be poured out on them. Let your prayers embrace the mourning, let them be heard in the assembly.
Open questions:
Jonah is complete next week, and I would really like to know where to go next. Please send me a couple of books that you would like to see explored in this way. If everyone sends in two or three choices, I will tally them up and we can see the casting of lots in action! Otherwise, it will be rather arbitrary, I will ask a few that are reading closely what they think of my personal list. Unless of course, we get some other vision, so ask the Lord where we should go!
Current topic:
We have come to the end of Jonah, and in this end, there is wonderful news. Read the final verses, consider what the word of the Lord is, and send in your thoughts.
Conclusion:
Many thanks to everyone for reading along and contributing your measure. We exist in a heavenly economy, where life flows out from the throne to each of us, and we give that life to one another and the world. May your gift of life return tenfold this week. As we will be switching topics, it is a great time to add anyone you know who might be interested in this adventure in the Spirit. Forward a copy, anyone who is interested can simply send along a note to be added. Remember, contributing only requires responding to the minutes, with as little or as much as you have. Be strengthened in Love!
This is the man whom God allowed to be sacrificed, and saved with a incredible miracle. Jonah's whole existence is credited to the Eternal. And can we recall the recent words of Jonah, "What I vow I will pay..." However, here we find Jonah in the throws of himself again. I get from this such faith. Our Father is crafting His son's life in us. I can not turn that work on or off. Just as it was impossible to save myself in the beginning, it is His hand, His work, for His pleasure to raise up in me the life of His son. And here is a prophet, who experienced miraculous salvation, that is now arguing with God about his unfortunate circumstance. Jonah could not escape himself. The anger was taking control of his heart.
Jonah heads off in a huff, to the east of the city and sits in the shade of a self constructed hut. There he intended to wait and see what would happen. This is my condition sometimes. I seek the Lord, asking for Him to move. Petitioning God for more life, for those I love and meet. Frequently He will move, but perhaps not how I wanted. I can get frustrated at not seeing the timing of His plan, and then stand back waiting to see what happens. But it is my own heart that He is transforming.
These feelings, sometimes anger, sometimes frustration, perhaps resentment at times, are like little tents inside of us. Our own little house, shielded from the light. A place were we can "enjoy" our own self righteousness. In this place our beloved Father loves us. He made it possible to escape the self, to come out of my self righteous emotional insulation. I lay these down on the altar, by the power of Christ, by His method that surpassed death itself.
The Eternal now performed a special miracle for Jonah with a shady vegetable. Consider for a moment the context, Jonah made a tent, and sat in the shade of it. Perhaps he was a lousy tent builder, and needed more shade. I prefer to think of this as a time line. He was going to wait out the forty days by my thinking. Being stubborn and obstinate myself, that is what I would do. And perhaps the hut was lashed about by the winds, or was made of flimsy sticks. We do not know, so I am speculating, but somehow, Jonah was in the scorching heat again, and God made to grow over Jonah a plant providing shade.
The ASV has this as "to deliver him (Jonah) from his evil case." So the situation Jonah was in became downright 'evil', or in a polite way, he was experiencing severe discomfort. I could construct the result of this miracle as "snatch away (his) discomfort". It is not good for the soul to stew away in anger. And here the Lord miraculously delivers Jonah from that discomfort. Jonah became exceedingly glad. Filled with glee and joy.
Have you experienced a miracle just for you? The Lord does such things! Miraculous delivery from our affliction. I am believing for that manifest reality even now. Our God has no favorites, simply His son. And by that love we are assured of miraculous things! Find more of Christ and miracles follow.
But Jonah did not budge. Glad as he was, his intention would still appear to be one of waiting for the prophesy to be fulfilled. He is still in conflict with God. Still letting anger lead him. Now I am not creating a reason for the worm, or implying that if Jonah left, some other result would have happened. This is just a simple possible context, let the Spirit guide you in truth. For me, when I give up my little house and let Him clean things up, I can stand in the light, with joy and thanksgiving. And that means truly letting go of the source of irritation, the cause of my anger or resentment.
Now in the morning, the Lord brought a worm to devour the miraculous plant. Jonah experienced great joy in the miracle of the Lord, and when that was taken away, he fell back into emotional doom. Was the Lord justified in this? Of course, yet the natural man's reaction is to question. But turn to the Spirit, and the initial word of God to Jonah, "Doest thou well to be angry?" The Eternal's concern is with the heart of Jonah, so Jonah's apparent joy was tested. The core of Jonah's anger, the source of his disappointment and frustration needed to be exposed. Even in the joy of Jonah's personal miracle he held on to hidden anger.
I have been in that place, where at every turn my mind and heart questions "Why Lord?" We can not judge how He gets to the depths of our soul, how He exposes what we are hiding. Both for His work in our lives, and in those around us. Even miracles taken away, blessing that withers, these are not always circumstantial. He loves us, and will do everything in that love to bring us closer to Him. Consider that from the perspective of His love, drawing us close is more important than our circumstance. It is the Fathers pleasure to see us grow in Christ.
Our wonderful God looked deep into Jonah, because of His love. That same love looks into us, praise God!
For this meeting, here is the current agenda:
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Pray for the ones we know who are hurting from loss. Ask for the surpassing comfort that He can provide to be poured out on them. Let your prayers embrace the mourning, let them be heard in the assembly.
Open questions:
Jonah is complete next week, and I would really like to know where to go next. Please send me a couple of books that you would like to see explored in this way. If everyone sends in two or three choices, I will tally them up and we can see the casting of lots in action! Otherwise, it will be rather arbitrary, I will ask a few that are reading closely what they think of my personal list. Unless of course, we get some other vision, so ask the Lord where we should go!
Current topic:
We have come to the end of Jonah, and in this end, there is wonderful news. Read the final verses, consider what the word of the Lord is, and send in your thoughts.
Conclusion:
Many thanks to everyone for reading along and contributing your measure. We exist in a heavenly economy, where life flows out from the throne to each of us, and we give that life to one another and the world. May your gift of life return tenfold this week. As we will be switching topics, it is a great time to add anyone you know who might be interested in this adventure in the Spirit. Forward a copy, anyone who is interested can simply send along a note to be added. Remember, contributing only requires responding to the minutes, with as little or as much as you have. Be strengthened in Love!
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