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Posts Tagged ‘Holy Spirit’

As I spend time in Scripture reading and prayerful meditation this morning, I am moved to pray for Haiti this passage from the writings of the Prophet Isaiah (chapter 62). God has promised healing and blessing to the nations from Abraham through Messiah Jesus. May it be so for our brothers and sisters in Haiti as the world watches. Spirit of the Most High God, help us to be revealing Light to the world for the glory of Your Name and Kingdom. Amen.

¹ Because I love Zion (Haiti),
I will not keep still.
Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem (Haiti),
I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
² The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the Lord’s own mouth.
³ The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
⁴ Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”
or “The Desolate Land.”
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”
and “The Bride of God,”
for the Lord delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.
⁵ Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem (Haiti),
just as a young man commits himself to his bride.
Then God will rejoice over you
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

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Yesterday was my rotation for leading the congregation in hearing the Word of God. I felt strongly inclined to “do something different.” Something in my deepest self feels a sense of remorse over the lack of attentive reverence given to Scripture. I’m not an advocate of Bibliolatry…pushing for the worship of God’s Word; however, it seems to me that since the Holy Scriptures are a primary means that God speaks to humanity, we should give more attention to it…reverence, awe, and worship for the Giver of the Word. It is for this reason that I do not care of the typical (at least what I am used to) contemporary worship service…if you can call it that. It seems almost sacrilegious to call it “worship.” Sorry…it’s a pet peeve, but I take it as an affront to Christ for people professing to “love him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength” to give Him such little attention. Here’s an example; the typical modern service lasts approximately 1 – 1.5 hours in length. This service will generally consist of a welcome, announcements, a few hymns/choruses, and a brief reading of the Word and sermon. The sermon, most often, is more of a devotional thought (at least in the contemporary setting) with a few “relevant” points and a “what I’m supposed to do with this” to do list for good Christian boys and girls. I know I’m sounding cynical…but we’re talking about the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE here! I hear of people sitting down and watching an entire DVD series of a TV show at one time, playing console games for hours straight, and/or waiting in traffic jams and long lines for a sporting event and then sitting through inclement weather for hours to watch said event. Conversely, we are told repeatedly that people don’t have the attention spans to sit through much more than a 25 minute sermonette in a worship service. Baloney; people will sit through what they want to sit through provided they find there is value in it. Personally, I cannot find anything of more value than hearing the words of my God…He is indeed, the Pearl of great price.

Enough of my rant…

So, yesterday I read a letter, a letter to the church. This letter was compiled by me from eleven of the church letters and epistles comprising the New Testament Scriptures. There were thirty-four passages of Scripture taken from the letters each annotated and foot-noted in my manuscript. I believe the letter is contextually true and is as relevant for us today as it was when it was originally written/read.

I shared with the congregation that the ancient church would often go months or longer before they might hear from one of the apostles and when they did it would be with great excitement they would gather to hear the reading of the letter. This is the letter I read to my church family yesterday. A copy of the letter (here) and small group discussion points (here) are included  for download.

My thinking for this letter was to simply let the Word of God do what it does; teach, inspire, challenge, rebuke, correct, and convict. I assumed that God did not need me to tell the people what to think on this occasion. I know this is a lot of information in one letter, but I am under the conviction that people would walk away hearing only what God the Holy Spirit wanted them to hear. Time will tell; feedback from this Sunday was rather sparse…dunno what to make of that, but I feel I was true to what the Spirit laid on my heart. Amen.

2009NOV29 DearChurch jborden by icrucified

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Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan

I just finished the latest book by Francis Chan, Forgotten God. I definitely connected and agreed with his heart in this follow up to Crazy Love. There was a continuing theme throughout this book formed in questions, comments, stories, and testimony that never changed: Your life should be led by and filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit of God. There is not a lot to be said by me that can further illustrate or explain what Francis Chan has already done in the book. You can preview the book here with this link from publisher David C. Cook. Also, you can find Q/A with Francis here concerning Forgotten God. Finally, an audio version is available for purchase as well at this link.

Forgotten God is well documented with (perhaps arguably; although I would not be one to argue) scriptural references. I really am at a loss as to what to say or write about this particular book. As I have said, I am tracking perfectly in sync with Francis’ words and discernment and I just find it difficult to add or share…more than what has already been, so clearly, illustrated.

I suppose the sum of the book is this; Jesus Christ calls his followers to abundant life, both here (in the present) and eternal. Abundant life should not be confused with material and physical prosperity, although sometimes this occurs in the context of abundant life. Abundant life is, at the core, walking in unity with the Triune God; Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me…and I am in you.” Christ Jesus has empowered us with gift and blessing of the indwelling Spirit of God in order that our lives on earth might give testimony to, and glorification of, God Almighty.

Sadly, one of the greatest attacks against the Church has been perpetrated by misinformation, extenuation, and exploitation of the ministry and indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. In one camp we have people that minimize and limit the power and work of the Holy Spirit, and in the other camp we have people who want to grandstand and (attempt to) exploit God’s Holy Spirit. Both camps are in error and propagate mockery of the Holy Spirit before an already cynical and watching world. If this is not outright blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, it is dangerously close (in my opinion).

Perhaps you have misunderstood the purpose and ministry of the Holy Spirit. If so, you might find this book enlightening, challenging, and inspiring…or perhaps your own desire and conviction needs encouragement and affirmation. Personally, I have found some ways of explaining this wonderful gift of God to others and hope to see more people walking in joyful, and victorious, fellowship with God. My recommendations are to purchase and read the book.

Francis shares a little about Forgotten God in this video:

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Proper 26

Merciful God, good Lord, I wish that you would unite me to that fountain, that there I may drink of the living spring of the water of life with those others who thirst after you. There in that heavenly region may I ever dwell, delighted with abundant sweetness, and say, “How sweet is the fountain of living water which never fails, the water welling up eternal life.” O God, you are yourself that fountain ever and again to be desired ever and ever and again to be consumed. Lord Christ, always give us this water to be for us the “source of the living water which wells up to eternal Life.” Columbanus

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LONG POST WARNING…

I know I might sound like a broken record, but I cannot escape the thought patterns that rise up out of my heart and take up residence in my mind. As I continue to read from my Bible and the ancient writings of Christians that have journeyed the path of discipleship in the ways of Jesus Christ, I learn and appreciate a deeper understanding behind the meaning of the “narrow way.” As wide and deep are the mercies and grace of our Great GOD; laser straight with precision focus and dedication must be the way of his disciple. This narrow way of laser-focus-dedication is not, and cannot be, confused with legalistic rules, programs, disciplines or programs. Nor should it be confused with maniacal fanaticism. Likewise, it is not a life journey that one enters into expecting to find balance. While I find myself using the words moderation and balance quite often on the course and path of my faith journey, realistically…balance is something that I rarely experience. This, of course, could be more attuned to my own personality, but I think unbalanced and wholehearted speak more closely to right definition when it comes to the description of a true Jesus disciple. Your mileage might vary, but this is my experience.

You might be asking; “what’s driving the thinking, Jeff?” My answer; a lot…let me share a bit of it with you.

“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of Heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.” 1 Kings 8:23

If you read this blog, you probably noticed that my blogging has been sporadic lately. I’m not prepared to share in detail why that has been, but will say that my soul has been at unrest. This is not to infer negative implications. Personally, I think what the Lord has been speaking to me is good. He is defining my path; He is guiding my steps…He is writing my destiny. As a result of this “heart conversation” with my Lord, my mouth has been silent and since this has been all that has consumed me for the past several weeks and couple months…my blogging has been minimal…feeling restricted by what I can share and what is on my mind. There are some things I feel ok to talk about, so I’ll share some of them now and maybe more over the next few days or however long it takes to flesh it all out. Read the rest of this entry »

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Divine Tension…a holy thing it is.

It seems to me that the more I study the Bible, the more I read and study saints of old, the more I invest in theology, the more I pray, the more I practice and learn of the spiritual disciplines, and the more I seek knowledge of and intimacy with God… the more I experience a divine tension. Now, this should not be interpreted as confusion or disillusion. The tension I experience is not a bad thing; at least I don’t think that it is. It seems to me that the closer I draw to God, the more I think I know Him…the more I realize how complex and incomprehensible He is. My words do not describe my thoughts very well, but I don’t know how to describe them any better, so that will have to suffice for now.

Over the past forty plus years I’ve gotten to know myself pretty well. I’m a life-long learner and love to experience and figure out new things. I have no doubt this personality trait carries over into my spirituality. It seems there is an ongoing lesson given through Holy Spirit that continues to disrupt my tendency to put the things of God and faith to formula. I rather like the A + B = C scenarios and like it even more when I can say with certainty that more complex issues can be solved in similar fashion; such as, X(c + d) – y = Z. When I’m able to do this with the things of God it gives me a sense of confidence, certainty, and (sadly unfortunate) pride. This is why I’m pretty sure that God continues to disrupt my formulas. This is why, as I draw closer and seek more intimate knowledge of my heavenly Father, He shows me how unpredictable and unformulaic (I know…it’s not a word, but you know what I mean) He truly is. He says to my soul, “Do not put me into confined proportions!”

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you, don’t be like a senseless horse or mule that need a bit and a bridle to keep it under control.” (Psalm 32:8-9)

I keep coming back to the same crossroads…

I don’t think I keep arriving here out of disobedience, rebellion, or insolence. I think it remains a loving reminder from my Savior King; “Don’t get comfortable; don’t relax into a place of complacency and familiarity.” The LORD doesn’t want me to rely upon myself. I need to start out the mission of every day seeking a fresh infilling of His Holy Spirit. He is the only source of Truth and the only reliable Guide who can lead me to success for the divine assignment I have been tasked with on any given day. He is the only source of holy illumination that can radiate the presence and power of Christ in me to the world of my influence. I cannot rely on what was yesterday and it is my awareness of this truth that fuels the place of divine tension in my life.

I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn. Then I pray to you, O LORD. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.” (Psalm 42:1-3, 5)

Truly it is only in the place of holy awareness and need that we can be continuously confident. I am beginning to understand (with these continuing reminders from God) that I need Him ceaselessly speaking words of direction to my soul. This realization gives me fresh understanding of Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing.” It is my deepest desire to be the instrument and faithful servant of Jesus in all that I do and with every moment of my remaining life on this earth. Understanding my frailty and my weaknesses also fuels the divine tension. Thank You, O God, that in my weakness You are strong. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. I mourn; I long for guidance and direction that I might follow and bring glory to my King.

My heart is confident in You, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! Wake up my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May Your glory shine over all the earth. (Psalm 57:7-8, 11)

Prayer for the day:

O Holy Spirit of God, very God, who descended on Christ at the river Jordan and on the apostle’s in the upper chamber, we have sinned against heaven and before you; purify us again, we ask you, with Your divine fire, and have mercy on us. Grant, we ask you, Almighty God, that the splendor of Your brightness may shine on us and the light of Your LIGHT confirm with the illumination of the Holy Spirit the hearts of those who have been born again through Your grace: for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. [Amen] (Excerpted from Nerses of Clajes and the Gregorian Sacramentary)

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More on Actions…

Reading from one of my devotional resources this morning, I came upon this following on the heels of my post from yesterday. An excerpt from St. John Chrysostom and Homilies on the Gospel of John 75.

“At all times it is works and actions that we need, not a mere show of words. It is easy for anyone to say or promise something, but it is not so easy to act on that word or promise… ‘If you love me,’ Christ said, ‘keep my commandments.’ …I have commanded you to love one another and to do to one another as I have done to you. To love me is to obey these commands and to submit to me, your beloved.”

Prayer for the day -

O God, who by the life and death and rising again of your dear Son has consecrated for us a new and living way into the holiest of all: cleanse our minds, we ask you, by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that drawing near to you with a pure heart and conscience undefiled, we may receive these gifts without sin and worthily magnify your holy name. …Save us O Lord, while waking, and defend us while sleeping, that when we awake we may watch with Christ, and when we sleep we may rest in peace. Empower us and refill us with Yourself that we might be imitators of You to all the nations blessing Your name in word and deed proclaiming Your fame through our salvation with every fiber of our being as the dailyness of our life reflects our worship of You. [AMEN]

*portions of this prayer taken from the Liturgy of St. James

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Just in time for Pentecost…

I finished Experiencing the Spirit: The Power of Pentecost Every Day by Henry and Melvin Blackaby a couple weeks ago. As promised, I am completing my review of this book. When I last left off with my partial review, I was in hopes that the rest of the book would be as good as part one. In short, it was…and so much more.

I used small 1″ X 2″ post-it notes to mark the pages that I wanted to highlight for further study and use as quotes for my review; I must have something like 40-50 pages marked. This is good for me and my studies, but not so good for my review. Rather than quote most of the book, I’ll provide a run-down of the structure and a brief summary of my takeaway.

Part one essentially sets up the foundation of the book for experiencing the Spirit. The first step toward this experience is knowledge and introduction. The Blackaby’s introduce the reader to the person of the Holy Spirit (informationally that is) in this brief first two chapters. Moving on to part two (chapters three and four), the Blackaby’s explain the gift and purpose of the Holy Spirit working in the life of Jesus during his earthly ministry. Although the first four chapters only comprise approximately one third of this book, the teaching is very, very rich with almost half of my “page markers” in this section.

The remainder of Experiencing the Spirit is devoted to the work and power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. This is an incredibly challenging and convicting eight chapters. Henry and Melvin Blackaby pull no punches in their teaching. I found myself being stepped on and bruised repeatedly by their words…and I know it was with just cause; their words were (are) true and I needed to hear them. I think others need to hear these words as well.

My takeaway from this book, if there must be only one, is that I am prone to take the work and gift of God the Holy Spirit for granted. I don’t like admitting that, but a quick backward glance at my life proves this to be true. We’re talking about God living in me…this is the same power that enabled Jesus and empowered him for the works he did while walking the earth in a human body. This is the same Spirit that gave him understanding and awareness (oneness) with the heart of God the Father. This is the same Spirit that raised him from the dead…and IT (He) lives in me. What prevents me from living like Jesus? Me. As I said, the Blackaby’s bring forth some hard questions and make some statements that have some very damning inferences…like this one:

“But you cannot be filled with the Spirit and ever have an excuse for disobedience.”

So what if we disobey? Do we have the Spirit? I’ll let you answer that one… How about another statement with convicting implications; try this one on for size:

“The divine nature cannot be hidden. It must-and it will-express itself.”

What if the world, our neighbors, only see a facsimile of Christianity in our lives…what if our neighbors only hear our meaningless words? What if our neighbors never see the incarnate Christ in our lives? Do we have the divine nature?

I recommend this book for individuals and for groups. There is a study guide and a scripture reference appendix included in the book. I’m sure I will be using it in my own devotions, studies, teaching, and my sermon material…probably for years to come. Have your ordered it yet?

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What does it mean to “walk with GOD?” What is the impact of God indwelling the heart of a man? What does it mean to reflect the image of God? How does this all measure out from a three-in-one God? If the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ and Christ dwells in me…what does that mean and what does it look like?

A devotional thought

We are Imago Dei aka Image of God

(We are created in the image of God) Genesis 1:27

Jesus said; “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father…” (John 14:9)

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. (Colossians 2:9) And the incredible thing about this…is Jesus dwells within us!

Jesus said; “the Father is in me and I am in the Father…I in them and you in me” (John 17:18-23)

John 17:18-23 ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  ¹⁹ And for their sake I consecrate myself,¹ that they also may be sanctified² in truth.  ²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,  ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,  ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Jesus said it is better that he left us so he could dwell within us… The crazy thing about this is that I have often thought how cool it would be to walk with Jesus; I suppose that reveals my (lack of) understanding of what it means to be filled with the Living God. “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7)

Jesus said; “I will never leave you…I will never forsake you…” (John 14:16; Hebrews 13:5)

What more can we ask for?

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)

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40 Days Living the Jesus Creed [Days 31-33]

LtJC – Day 31:

“Love does not insist on its own way…” (1 Corinthians 13:5-6)

Jesus Creed Thoughts for the day…

• “Jesus Creed love is AGAPE Love…”
• “Agape Love denies self…”

My takeaway/parting thoughts: icrucified = crucify self = deny self

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ…”

Luke 9:23

Mark 14:36

“To choose to live a life of loving others is to choose against a life of loving only ourselves.” (Scot McKnight) Read the rest of this entry »

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