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Posts Tagged ‘Jesus Christ’

Further Meditations in Genesis 15

^{My Comments (jb)} …this week has concentrated on dependence upon God, trusting God, and following Jesus. I started the week with Genesis…it just seems fitting to end the week with it as well.

God makes an incredible covenant promise to Abram that included protection, an heir, descendants numbering as many as the stars, “great” reward, land, and a long healthy life… Awesome stuff indeed! But wait; what about the process of getting there, to all those awesome blessings? Abram = Yay! Descendants = not so much. God also assures Abram his descendants will be “slaves” in a foreign land where they will be oppressed for 400 years. Wait for it… Let that sink in a bit… 400 Years.

Sure, they (the slave descendants) had Abraham’s covenant promise conveyed upon them…but people were born, lived, and died without seeing anything but slavery and oppression. I can’t help but wonder if Abraham’s knowledge of the 400 years was passed along to his descendants as part of their “blessing.” In other words, did they know they were going to be enslaved for this long?

400 Years…

Their emancipation was no cakewalk either… chased by an Egyptian army into the desert wilderness, they failed to trust God. An entire generation was “blessed” to die in their “desert of distrust” as part of their reward. Fortunately, we finally see the privileged inheritors of God’s promise walk across the river into land God had given to Abraham… YAY! But wait; these “people of the blessing” who were unskilled in the art of war, knew little in the ways of societal governance, and had little in the way of supply-line resourcing… were going to have to fight/war for every square foot of land that had been “promised” to them.

There’s more to this story, and these long periods of silence from God and oppression of His people have a disconcerting manner of repeating themselves… “Yeah, but that was the Old Testament, back when God was mean and people were primitive and ignorant” Right? Jesus ushered in an era of blessing and brilliance… Right? Of course he did, but not in the context most of us like to think about. Remember, all but one of the “Twelve of Jesus’ Disciples” met violent deaths. Most, if not all, followers of Christ were ostracized, oppressed, persecuted, and often killed because of their “blessed” status. It wasn’t until the fourth century before this level of oppression began to let up.

“Anyone who talks about spiritual things without any experience in them is like a person who is lost in the desert, dying with thirst… If you try to tell me about the Christian life without any personal involvement in it, you will mislead me. You will tell me fictional things, mistaken things.” ~Pseudo-Macarius

…the story continues, but we’re talking about trust, dependence, and following Jesus. What really is the cost, and what really is the blessing? How are these really measured? Can I trust God…? Am I willing to release my own self-reliance and independence to follow the unseen future led by the Invisible God?

“Deliverance can come to us only by the defeat of our old life… God rescues us by breaking us, by shattering our strength and wiping out our resistance. Then he invades our natures with that ancient and eternal life which is from the beginning.” ~A.W. Tozer

The picture I painted of the plight of “God’s people” is pretty terrifying and doesn’t look all too inviting to us from our perspective, but what if we glimpse how God looks at this:

I was always on your side. I destroyed the Amorites who confronted you, Amorites with the stature of great cedars, tough as thick oaks. I destroyed them from the top branches down. I destroyed them from the roots up. And yes, I’m the One who delivered you from Egypt, led you safely through the wilderness for forty years And then handed you the country of the Amorites like a piece of cake on a platter. I raised up some of your young men to be prophets, set aside your best youth for training in holiness. (Amos 2:8-10)

“God who is everywhere never leaves us… Yet He may be more present to us when He is absent than when He is present.” ~Thomas Merton

What if I’m one of those “400 year” people? What if I’m one of the persecuted, poverty stricken, disease-infested, natural disaster called Christians? Will I follow Him? Will I trust Him? Am I willing to depend upon Him?

“To live for the lesser things of life is to risk not really living at all.” ~Joan Chittister

“God says, when I toss My children into the air, terror comes before delight. Put yourself in the place of My people in Daniel’s day. They felt thrown into the air with no safety net beneath them. They couldn’t see their God ready to catch them.” (from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)

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A Final Christmastide Reflection: Clearly – Appeared and Revealed…

Epiphaneia

2 Timothy 1:8-11

“He has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.”

Today marks the day of Epiphany and the conclusion of the church Christmas season (Jan.5^th). Today, and for the next season in the cycle of the church calendar, we celebrate and reflect upon the revelation of God made man in the person of Jesus Christ…the appearing of the Incarnation. This Epiphany is extremely significant in what it represents. Not only does it recognize the coming (appearance) of the Christ, but also his manifestation to the gentiles (the Eastern wise men aka Magi) and his manifestation as Son of God to the world at his baptism in the Jordan River. His first miracle, turning water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana, (another manifestation and affirmation of his deity) is commemorated during this season of reflection and wonder as well.

Isaiah 60:1-22

¹ Arise, Shine; For your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. ¹⁶ You shall know that I. the LORD, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. ¹⁸ …You shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. ¹⁹ …The LORD will be your everlasting light, and your GOD will be your glory. ²² I am the LORD; in its time I will accomplish it quickly.

What happens when we realize the truth and gravity of what has happened among us? How does this affect and change us? What does it really mean to us when the “glory of the LORD has risen upon you”? I am reminded of the words from Thomas Merton who writes the following:

“We who have seen the light of Christ are obliged by the greatness of the grace that has been given us to make known the presence of the Savior to the ends of the earth…not only by teaching the glad tidings of His coming; but above all by revealing Him in our lives… Every day of our mortal lives must be His manifestation, His divine Epiphany, in the world which He has created and redeemed.”

Epiphaneia: to cause to appear or to bring to light…

“Come and See…” “Go and Tell…” (Mark 3:14)

A great and marvelous light has come into the world. Jesus is that light and it amazes me that He desires to make his abode in the likes of me, but the writings of Paul to Timothy tell me this was the plan of God before creation and time…  “So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.” (2 Ti. 1:8-11). I want this to be the only thing I live for; my consuming desire…to bring Glory to Him, My God, Savior-Redeemer, Jesus.

I have been praying a prayer that I found from Columbanus for the last couple of days; I will continue to pray this prayer daily for at least the remainder of the week. It follows:

Lord, I pray that You may be a lamp for me in the darkness. Touch my soul and kindle a fire within it, that it may burn brightly and give light to my life. Thus my body may truly become your temple, lit by your perpetual flame burning on the altar of my heart. And may the light within me shine on  my brethren that it might drive away the darkness of ignorance and sin from them also. Thus let us be lights to the world manifesting the bright beauty of Your gospel to all around us. Amen. –Columbanus

“May all kings fall down before Him, all nations give Him service…” (Psalm 72:11)

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It’s always a joy to share God’s Word…

It was my privilege to “kick off” the first message in our new series The Christian Journey this past Sunday. My message topic was to share the goal of the Christian Journey and to set the stage for the remaining eight weeks of this study. My manuscript can be downloaded here and I’ve included a link to the small group discussion and sermon outline here. As is my practice, I am including the audio file here for streaming or for download.

2010JAN03 ChristianJourney 1jb by valleychapel

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Christmastide Reflections: The Passionate Commitment…

Isaiah 9:2-7

⁴ You will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders… ⁶ For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace… ⁷ His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The *passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen.

*Passionate Commitment is a translation for the New Living Translation. In other versions it is translated as “zeal.” Looking up the definition of zeal in several online dictionaries was enlightening to me. The following reflects the sum of my findings:

Zeal: Fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor

Synonyms: intensity, passion

I love that… passionate commitment; zeal; enthusiastic diligence, intensity…passion. This is the description of our God, the Creator-Savior-Redeemer, Jesus. The Rescuer who has come to save, reconcile, and restore us. He does this with passionate commitment. He determined that HE WOULD MAKE THIS HAPPEN with enthusiastic diligence and ardor (intense devotion, eagerness, and/or enthusiasm; burning heat). I love this!!! He would see (and did see) that the burden of sin, the yoke of slavery to the broken flesh, would be lifted! His peace and our reconciliation would never end! Our redeemed and restored relationship would extend ETERNALLY! Why? Because HE WAS-IS Passionately Committed to His creation and His children. Thank God! Immanuel. God is with us!

“Each day proclaim the good news that He saves…” (Psalm 96:2b)

At His birth the world changed. The pregnancy of Hope and the conviction of divine possibility were joined. God is with us…Immanuel. The physical birth of Jesus is exponentially larger than a baby in a manger. Christmas marks the coming of a whole new world. As modern day Christians we know that Christmas is the precursor of the cross. Christmas and the cross are truly a single event. With the fulfillment of God’s promise for deliverance come in Jesus, humanity was invited to coexist with deity for eternity… Immanuel… God with us, God among us, and God in us: Redemption, Reconciliation, and ultimate Restoration. Hallelujah! He Has Come. Immanuel.

“God makes the first move, one of sheer grace; the next move is theirs (ours)…” –Bobby Gross

“Christmas is meant to take us to the level of spiritual maturity where we are capable of seeing in a manger the meaning of an empty tomb.” –Joan Chittister

Isaiah’s prophecy describes the character, conscience, and countenance of Jesus…”The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…” This is the Image by which we were created (Genesis 1:27) and it is the Image to which we are being transformed (Romans 8:29). Christ himself, has prayed (John 17:22-23) that we (the sons and daughters of God) would be instruments and reflections of His Glory. The image we should radiate and reflect is the same description as depicted by the prophet Isaiah; wisdom, power, love (agape), peace (shalom). As I reflect upon these truths and meditate upon all that it holds for us as “awakened” children of God, I am stricken with a somber dose of reality… I think about the quote from Bobby Gross (above) speaking about the lowly shepherds to whom God announced through His angels the arrival of Messiah Jesus. God did make the first move and the shepherds responded with joyful obedience. I wonder about those who do not respond to God’s move… Ironically, the arrival of Jesus in the flesh of humanity not only signaled life-eternal, but brought with it death as well (Matthew 2:13-18). So, to this end, I ponder… the fulfillment of Promise and Life sealed darkness and death for many. Sadly, I think it does still for those who decide to ignore “God’s first move.” I am reminded of an observation made by the ancient church father, Jerome; “The Lord is born on earth, and he does not have even a cell in which to be born, for there was no room for him in the inn. The entire human race had a place, and the Lord about to be born on earth had none. He found no room among people…” O, Dear God, please…please may this not be the case about Your people today. My prayer today is for us who know you and for those who do not…

Almighty and everlasting God, you have revealed the incarnation of your Son by the bright shining of a star, which the wise men saw, and offered costly gifts in adoration; let the star of your justice always shine in our hearts, that we may give as our treasure all that we are and all that we posses, to your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

From before time was, Your plan was to manifest Your image in all you create and now You have provided us the way and the means to this completion through rebirth and re-creation. May we be as the shepherds and respond boldly to Your move; Your invitation to grace and shalom. I pray, O Lord, for the blindness and arrogance of my brothers and sisters…that their hearts might not be hardened, but they would be melted to joyful submission and receive this great gift of salvation from Immanuel… You, who are, God With Us. It is your passionate commitment and merciful magnificence that brings men to repentance… I pray that darkness is dispelled and death destroyed for the sake of those who still do not know or refuse you… may they greet you with adoration and joy, responding to Your “first move” and passionate commitment.

Christ is born: glorify Him. Christ comes from heaven: go out to meet Him. Christ descends to earth: let us be raised on high.

– prayer written from my own words, the words of Gregory of Nazianzus and the Gelasian Sacramentary

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Meditation #7  December 13-18, 2009

Advent Reflections: Anticipating Zion; the joy of God’s universal shalom, considering “peace,” “completion,” “joy,” and His divine “splendor.”

Coming Joy –

“Let it be unto me, Your servant, according to Your will…” Mary (Luke 1:38)

“I must decrease, so that He may increase…” John the Baptist (John 3:30)

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:14-17)

Anticipate ~ Watch ~ Wait ~ Alert

The promise of His return is before us. While “no man knows the time or day” of the return, we know that it is imminent. Therefore, how we wait is important. Our wait should be with eager anticipation; baited and hungry for fruits of righteousness born from our own lives that indicate lifestyles of repentance. It was John the Baptist who said, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” (Luke 3:8) As we wait…as we watch, our attitudes are that of eager, alert, and hungry anticipation; bearing fruits of repentance until His return.

Remember ~ Return ~ Readiness ~ Repentance

Remembering helps us to stay ready. It is easy to slip into complacency; even ambivalence, while we wait if our minds and hearts do not stay “ready.” Remembering helps us to ward off the tendencies our nature has to relax. What is it that we remember? We can remember the historical works of God from the Holy Scriptures. We can remember the promises fulfilled even now by our great and faithful God. We can recount the works of transformation, blessing, provision, and perfection that He has done in our lives individually as well as the lives of people who are close to us. In these acts of remembrance, we stay ready for His return with eager and repentant hearts. Maranatha; Come Lord Jesus…

Redemption ~ Reconcile ~ Restore ~ Rejoice

Redemption is an incredible thing…a concept that explodes into our lives with new meaning once we are awakened to our brokenness. The English dictionary provides us with the following definitions for “redeem”: (1) to make something acceptable or pleasant in spite of its negative qualities or aspects (2) restore a reputation (3) to pay off the outstanding portion of a debt (4) to fulfill a pledge or a promise. Redemption is a work that God promised even in the early chapters of the Genesis account. Redemption is an act that no man can perform on his own behalf. Without God, there is no hope for redemption and awareness of our brokenness only brings paralyzing despair. But…redemption is an incredibly real act that has been completed by our God for every man and woman; past, present, and future. With redemption comes the invitation to reconciliation, an even more gloriously stupendous reality…the invitation to be reconciled (oneness of unity) with the Triune Person of God. This is restoration…taking back that which was broken to its original and unbroken state; the restoration is in process and working towards ultimate completion and perfection. For this, we rejoice!

Hope ~ Delight ~ Peace ~ Joy ~ Shalom

Our hope is looking forward to completion and ultimate reconciliation with our Father and Savior God. Anticipation of this day brings delight even now as we live out repentant and grateful lives with peaceful joy always staying alert and ready for His return, but stalwart in our confidence of being held by Him until the universal Shalom of God is ushered into the ReCreation (The New Heaven and New Earth). This is our joy. “I’m bringing you,” the angel says, “good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day… a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). And so it is; Great Joy… past, present, and ultimate future. Hope; with joy now, looking forward to eternal reconciliation and complete restoration. This is Joy. This is the universal Shalom of the Creator-Savior-King, the Triune God.

Joan Chittister, writes in The Liturgical Year; “If, focused on the Christ Child at the very beginning of the liturgical year; we do not have the spiritual vision to see meaning there and to develop it within ourselves, there is nothing else on earth that will ever be able to supply it for us.” Indeed.

Additional thoughts on joy that I pulled from the writings of Joan Chittister follow:

1. Joy is not about what happens to us…
2. Joy is the meaning we give to what we do that determines the nature, the quality of the lives we live.
3. Joy is not about self-centeredness (John 5:30)
4. Happiness (true happiness) is not about self-satisfaction; it is about the joy that comes with a sense of purpose.
5. Joy comes from living our lives immersed in the will of God; not self-aggrandizement.
6. Joy is not in things; it is in us…

A prayer as we enter into the week of Light and Joy:

O Lord, my God, grant us your peace; already, indeed, You have made us rich in all things! Give us peace of being at rest, that Sabbath peace, the peace which know no end. O great God of Peace, sanctify me entirely; may You keep my spirit, soul and body sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because You have called me and You are faithful, I believe You will do this.

O Lord, mindful fo Your Great mercy, grant that I might serve You without fear, in holiness and righteousness this day and all the days of my life. May it be so to Your glory and the coming of Your Kingdom Eternal. Amen.

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The Sacred Meal, by Nora Gallagher (The Ancient Practices Series)

The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher is a delightful book; period. There was nothing that I disliked or even remotely found issue within its contents. This is a lofty claim when speaking about something as sacramental as the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. There are very diverse and polarizing positions regarding this holy practice, but Nora Gallagher has done an absolutely wonderful job of sharing insight about this communal, personal, sacred, public, and intimate practice. I loved reading the journey of her personal experiences and the gentle way she used them to explain the practice and purpose of this holy meal.

This book isn’t about instruction, nor is it about defining doctrinal perspective… it is about communion; coming together in order to remember and experience the breadth and body of our Savior Lord, Jesus Christ, and His Church universal. The Eucharist is much more than holy writ carried out by holy “roters.” The Lord’s Supper summons us (the church) to come to the table of our Lord forcing introspection and examination while in the presence of visible union with other believers doing likewise; unity and oneness that cannot be escaped. Nora Gallagher paints this picture using multiple scenes that give the reader permission to explore their own beliefs, but almost inescapably arriving at similar destination-conclusions regarding this practice…unity and oneness with Christ and with His Body, the Church.

As I have written, I loved the stories and experiences shared by Nora Gallagher in this book. Without giving too much away, I especially enjoyed her parallel comparing the Lord’s Supper with a soup kitchen; A Sacred Meal indeed. I think, if you are looking for instruction and information regarding the Eucharistic practice, this is a great book to supplement your journey. I don’t think it should stand alone, but it is an excellent companion to any other work you might have at your disposal. Highly recommended – more reviews here.

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson through their blogging for books program.

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The second week of Advent began this past weekend. I continue to explore the season with reflections and meditations. Words that currently consume my thoughts follow:

• Longing
• Maranatha (“Our Lord, com” “Come, Lord Jesus”)
• Hope
• Glory
• Completion

A sense of “longing” continues to haunt me…an insatiable desire of spiritual hunger. My soul is ravenous for my ultimate completion in Christ…with my God. I know these feelings, this sense, is true in my deepest self, but my mocking flesh hurls insults and taunts of hypocrisy at me for speaking my thoughts of spiritual hunger. I despise this conflict and groaning of soul.

It seems in the interim of here and Eternity, this tumultuous battle between the spirit and flesh is a self-perpetuating cycle. The more my soul is awakened and drawn closer to the things of God, the more I am made aware of the catastrophic effects of sin, and consequently, the weakness and failures of my own physical nature.

~ And I long…~ Maranatha

“Blessed are the poor in Spirit… Blessed are those who mourn… They shall be comforted and they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 5:3-4

So many things remain broken; even if I want to feel safe in the promise of my own redemption and salvation, I am conflicted…spiritually bipolar at times… even manic. My faith does not waver; the hope and promise of my completion is strong…my eternity secure in Christ and for this I rejoice, but my hunger is not satisfied. I long to see my Jesus face-to-face, triumphant in victory, sitting on His throne as He rules the nations…the insidious destroyer who is sin forever removed from the face of a New Earth.

I Long for His glory and I hope for completion… Maranatha

Famine is a reminder, disease is a reminder…physical, emotional, and sexual abuses are all reminders of the cancer of sin. Decay, pollution, birth defect and poverty are the tinnitus to my spiritual ears. War, climatic catastrophes, pestilence, idolatry, and death blur the “eyes of my heart.” Lies, slander, hypocrisy, and pride from my fellow humanity bear the scent of terminal cancer to my nostrils. Time itself is a reminder of sin…we were not created to serve the rule of seconds, minutes, hours, or years… God created man with Eternity in his heart. Our destiny was, and is, immortality in eternity with our Creator God. The process of aging, keeping track of schedules, and the tyrannical ticking of the clock…all vicious and relentless in their reminder of man’s rebellion and disobedience toward God.

My soul longs for the King of Peace… Maranatha

In light of our longing there is hope. God has sprinkled His DNA across the universe; creation itself bears the promise of hope and glory. We awaken to the splendor of His spoken word; “Let there be light,” in the glorious rising of the sun. We marvel at the mystery and complexities of conception and birth. The incredible science behind osmosis and photosynthesis (life as we know it depends on these earth actions) are hints of God’s handiwork. We have hope looking forward…a hunger and a longing for the eternity that God has planted in us with the same breath in which He gave us life.

“I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

“I am making all things new…” Revelation 21:3-5

Longing… it is the groaning burden of a soul that hungers for completion

Maranatha… Come, Lord Jesus, Come

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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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“Why then, be faint-hearted in my hopes? Why behave like a mere creature of the day? I await the voice of the archangel, the last trumpet, the transformation of the heavens, the transfiguration of the earth, the liberation of the elements, the renovation of the universe.” –Gregory of Nazianzus

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