iCrucified

Posts Tagged ‘kingdom of God’

Epiphany: You are a Light…a City on a Hill

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” ~Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16) NLT

This week a tragic and devastating earthquake hit the small island nation of Haiti…a country that was pretty much destroyed and without hope to begin with. While this (natural disaster) seems like some “unholy” kick-to-the-head while already down on the ground, it could be that God Almighty will use this cataclysmic event to show the world His redemptive and restoring ways. It troubles me, and humanity in general, to think in these terms and I certainly do not try to explain or quantify why God allows certain things to happen. However, if we believe He is Sovereign, there has to be some way that we are able to reconcile the events of life outside the “catch all” of fate. No, I can’t make sense of it from my limited perspective…and I have no desire to try to defend my own thoughts, but I do believe that great good can be the ultimate outcome of a horrible and tragic event.

Haiti has been a victimized and oppressed land for a long time; a long, long time. We have had the ability and resources to bring healing to this country for a long, long time too. It might be argued that it is not our responsibility to be the big brother of the nations (speaking of the United States of America)…however, as citizens of God’s Kingdom (anyone calling themselves Christian) it is our responsibility. I have seen statistics that say the annual “tithe” of the North American Christian Church should be estimated at 200 Billion dollars. Actual charitable (inside and outside of the Christian Church) giving totals 39 Billion annually.  This is annually. Yearly. To me, this indicates a renewable capital income. The difference between 200 and 39 is significant. What this reveals is a large amount of untapped discretionary income that could be used for the rebuilding and resurrection of not a country…but a people. We stand on the threshold of one of the greatest Christian opportunities of the modern world. And, we have the resources, manpower, and wherewithal to accomplish the task.

Poverty, hunger, lack of potable water, disease, and a host of social maladies plague our island neighbors of Haiti. In the past two years they have seen hurricanes and flooding added to their plight…and the world turned (for the most part) a deaf ear. I don’t know why a tragedy of such monumental proportion was not intervened upon by a “good and loving” God, but in the cacophony of flattened cities we are hearing…and may we not stop hearing until a nation of people have been fully resurrected and restored to a place of dignity and health.

So, during this season of Epiphany and revelation, I pray for my Haitian brothers and sisters. I pray that the world may see and BE the Light and Love of the Redeeming-Restoring God who loves us in the midst of storm, fire, and earthquake (Isaiah 43:1-4). Jesus told his followers, “In this world you will suffer oppression and persecution.” He also said He would walk with us through the difficult times and regardless of the difficulty of our journey, nothing could snatch us from His hand (Romans 8:38). We are His; forever. This is the resurrection God, Jesus Christ. He is the God who brings beauty from ashes and changes mourning into dancing joy. May we see the dawn of this great Light as the twilight of tragedy fades from our sights.

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
…You are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.” (Isaiah 43:1-4)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~Jesus (John 16:33)

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38)

Send article as PDF to

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

Send article as PDF to

Christmastide Reflections: LIFE and The Great Light…

John 1:1-18

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵ The LIGHT shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it… ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God –

“He was made man that we might become God…” St. Athanasius

John 17:20-26

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ²³ I in them and you in me…”

Ephesians 3:1-12

² Assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you… ³ God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. ⁵ God, by his Spirit, has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. ¹⁰ God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

“Come and see…” “Go and tell…” Jesus

~Pay attention ~ Be astonished ~ Tell about it ~ Mary Oliver

My soul is exploding…my intellect cannot contain the revelation of the Great Light that has come to us. I do not pretend to fully understand the Incarnation…but my soul knows that it is real! I am alive at the core of who I am in Him. The prayer of my God and Savior, Jesus, is alive in me. His Life gives me life; I can feel His heart beating as my own and I am filled with incomprehensible, indescribable, and infinite joy! But then the paradox of Love wraps its fingers around my throat and begins to choke my joy…while His Kingdom of wisdom, power, peace, and love is as kindled embers in my heart, the bonfire of His Eternal Kingdom is something “remembered forward.” The Kingdom is here, but it is not here. And, tears come to my eyes. I know people who don’t know the Great Light. I know people who are still stumbling in the darkness…and I feel like a traitor. How is it that I can rejoice and celebrate in the Light when so many are blind to this joy? I only stand on the promise of my Savior, the Light, who said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… and Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” I pray for comfort. I pray for the Kingdom in full. I pray for boldness to proclaim the Truth of the Great Light who is my Lord, my Savior, me Jesus…the God who Saves. Come and see the Great Light. Go and Tell about the Great Light. May the words His Spirit gives me awake deafened and blinded hearts to this wonderful and glorious Light that has come into the world.

Send article as PDF to

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

Send article as PDF to

Perhaps you might remember my post from about a month ago about the upcoming release of Phil Wickham’s newest CD, Heaven & Earth. I mentioned a strong preference for a couple of songs on this compilation; one was Eden and the other was Heaven & Earth. I haven’t stopped listening to this since I purchased it a month ago… I listen to it at home, in the car, on my iPod, through my laptop, and I’ve taken to learning several songs on my guitar as well. I just realized part of the reason for my strong attraction to this collection of melodies…they resonate with and bring comfort to my own heart’s desire.

I write these next words aware of my own vulnerability… but just feel the need to express them nonetheless. My soul is discontent, not discouraged; one of the definitions (from dictionary.com) is “a restless desire or craving for something one does not have.” That’s me; discontent. My heart is alive like it has never been before and seems to be burning even more passionately with each passing minute for the Kingdom of God. I want to see people living passionately with the resurrection life fueling their every movement and action in this life…and I don’t, so I’m discontent. “I crave something I do not have.” I am hungry to see this not only in the people that do not know the man-God-Jesus, but also for those who profess to know him and look no different from the people who do not know “about” Him. I’m tired and my heart hurts when I see my fellow humans struggling and worn from the burdens of life; I want to scream, I want to rebel against this attitude (similar to the fashion of Jesus turning over tables in the temple) because I know we do not have to live under this oppressive weight. This is not life. I see people, Christian people, running frantically through life as lab mice in a maze incessantly bumping into the same dead end walls…hoping to find a way out. We don’t have to live this way.

I think about the lyrics to Phil’s song Eden; he writes from Adam’s perspective in one of the verses:

“When the first light brightened the dark, before the breaking of the human heart; there was You and there was me. Innocence was all I knew; ‘cuz all I had to know was You, we were running underneath the trees…I remember how You’d call my name and I would meet You at the garden gate; how the glory of Your love would shine. I still remember when the stars were young; You breathed life into my lungs…Oh, I never felt so alive.”

“I wanna see You face to face; when being in Your arms is a permanent state. I want it like it was back then; I wanna be in Eden.”

I think, to have known what Adam knew, must have been incredible. At a point in his relationship with God, there was not only no sin, but no memory of sin either. What glory and what free-flowing love must have existed in that relationship! It boggles my mind and brings tears to my eyes when I think of what it must have felt like to Adam as he toiled over the earth, exiled from the garden and relation with God knowing fully what he had lost. I cannot imagine how he must have felt as he mourned the murder of one son by the hand of another son and realized his own choices were the blame for his brokenness. How his heart must have longed for that lost love and purity of relationship with Creator God. I can only wonder, but I do feel an eternal hunger for that relationship. I cannot know, for I have memories, of what sinless relationship is with God. I understand I am forgiven and I know that God chooses to not remember my sins, but I want that “Edenic” relationship…fully purified, wholly glorified, and immortally realized in the fullness of Christ Jesus my Savior.

I sense urgency in my life and in my ministry calling like I have never felt before; truly the “time is now…” Phil Wickham relates this urgency in another song from Heaven & Earth titled “The Time is Now”

It’s time to make a move so what will you decide; the clock is ticking on don’t let it pass you by it’s time, it’s time…

You’ve learned every song, memorized the verse you’ve took the bread and wine and even bought the shirt, but its time… It’s time to hold your shield, it’s time to draw your sword less evil, resistance, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord… It’s time, it’s time… The time is now for lifting souls; the time is now for letting go. From your skin to your core let light and love come rushing through the door… It’s time to make a stand; so put your heart in greater hands, from your skin to your core let light and love come rushing through the door

Sisters, brothers, thieves, and lovers… Come on, come on, eternity… Turn your faces from finite places; Heaven’s grace will set you free.

To this end, I believe. Indeed, Heaven’s Grace will set us all free…if we will receive and embrace it. I do not want to spend another moment giving  lip service to the serious work of advancing God’s Kingdom. Forget “committeeing,” discussing and voting stuff into oblivion and “non-advancement”.  Let us join ranks and link arms in the steadfast  and advancing pursuit of His Kingdom, living every second in the alert awareness of His divine “ever-present” Presence. I long for the opportunity to live in community with like-minded peoples who are absolutely and utterly consumed with this same desire. I do not want anything less. Put me in, Coach.

I’m climbing the fences I’m crossing the seas I’ll cover the distance I just want You to shine on me. I’m laying down my life ‘Cause I know what You’re worth I’m crossing the great line between heaven and earth. My beating heart is bursting out my skin to go further up and further in whatever it takes to bring me somewhere higher be it rain or be it fire…

I hear You calling me and I come running, I’ve fallen into love and nothing will stop me… I hear You calling me and I come running  –Heaven & Earth; from the Album Heaven & Earth by Phil Wickham

Even so, Come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Send article as PDF to

Reveille

Main Entry: rev·eil·le

Etymology: modification of French réveillez, imperative plural of réveiller to awaken, from Middle French reveiller, from re- + eveiller to awaken, from Vulgar Latin *exvigilare, from Latin ex- + vigilare to keep watch, stay awake — more at vigilant Date: 1644

1. : a signal to get up mornings
2. : a bugle call at about sunrise signaling the first military formation of the day; also : the formation so signaled

Wake up.

^ESV Romans 13:11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

^NRS Ephesians 5:14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

^NIV Revelation 3:2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

^NLT Revelation 3:3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpectedd as a thief.

Wake up.

This has been echoing, echoing, echoing…beating, beating, and beating in my head-heart for a long time, but especially so for the past several months. My heart is burdened for people…so many in the world I live are “sleep” walking their way through life…blind to the realities and promises of the God of all creation, Jesus Christ. I am fearful for the many and I am fearful for the people that Holy Spirit has led me to shepherd over and minister to. So many in the circles I have traveled have “over-personalized” the gospel message reducing the proclamation of God’s Kingdom to individualized salvation. While our relationship with Jesus is intimate and personal, if this personal relationship isn’t made public in word and in action…it has not been made personal at all.

“…indignant and insulted…the temple leaders and religious leaders questioned Jesus over his actions. Specifically, they were concerned over his leading children astray… Jesus’ response to them was this question; ‘Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures?’” –Matthew 21:15-16

Over the next few days and weeks I will try to flesh out some of my thoughts in this blog with regard to the promises of life our Lord has invited us to partake in; a life free from the bondage of sin. All of these promises clearly spelled out and contextually accurate in their interpretation from the Bible. There is no reason for us to be accused of the same failure as the Sadducees and religious leaders in the day of Jesus.

“…Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” Jesus – Matthew 22:29

Wake up.

^CSB Proverbs 6:9 How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

^NLT Psalm 57:8 Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.

“Whoever hungers for righteousness wants to live actively according to God’s righteousness; this is proper for the person with a good heart. One who thirsts for righteousness wants to acquire the knowledge of God that one can gain only by studying scriptures. This is fitting for the person with an attentive heart.” –Anonymous

Send article as PDF to

I have just been in love with the heart for worship that Phil Wickham has. I was introduced to his music and ministry when he put up a free download of night of worship he recorded called Singalong. It immediately became one of my favorite worship CD’s and remains so even today. I can’t say enough good things about his music and songwriting. I know that  melody and lyric interpretation are subjective from one person to another, but you’ll just have to try a listen for yourself if you aren’t familiar with Phil.

He is coming into his next release (mid-November), but has made a prerelease sale available to persons who’d like to get their ears on Heaven & Earth before it hits the stores. Phil has packaged the bargain of the century together for “early listeners” offering a full digital download of the studio version, an acoustic recording (my favorite) of the same, and the hard copy of the CD and a T-shirt will be shipped on its release date in Nov. all for $25.00 THAT’s: 2 Cd’s, a T-shirt, and a signed copy when its released for 25 bucks.  I’m telling you it’s worth it…for what that’s worth.

Here’s a link to his website for the presale and a couple of vids about one of my favorite songs “Eden”

Send article as PDF to

It’s been a while getting here to me, but I finally rec’d my long awaited copy of Pete Rollins‘ latest book The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales. I’m not very far into it, because as Pete says; “the book is not to be read quickly, for acquiring information, but to be savored slowly for possible transformation.” I like Pete and I like reading what he has to say; I like the questions he posits for us to ponder and the pokes he makes into the comfortable morass of creampuff Christianity. My theology has been challenged time and time again as I read his works, follow his blog, and watch some of the gatherings (from afar) of Ikon, the faith gathering he is part of in Ireland. I think this is good for us; I know it is good for me. It is going to take me awhile to work through these Parables from Pete; I don’t want to rush through them, and I also have a pile of books that I must work through because of deadlines (and I don’t believe in speed reading them). I’m reading one or two of these parables from The Orthodox Heretic each night before bed in the evenings then letting them percolate through my head and heart through my sleep and throughout my day. I can tell you this; they are already starting to do some work on me. I’d be willing to bet the same would be true for you. This book is good stuff. If you get it, and you’re not familiar with Pete Rollins, be prepared to be challenged, shocked, angry, encouraged, repulsed, scared, tickled, and more…also be ready to rethink some of what you think and be ready to figure out why you think it if you are called into question.

Before I close this, here’s a teaser; if Christianity were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Without giving away this parable, let’s just say the body of evidence you think is mounted against you might not be evidence at all. Does that have you thinking??? Get the book…

Send article as PDF to

I picked this up over the “twitter waves” from Alan Hirsch:

“…realized that a budget is a theological document. It indicates who or what we worship.”

I think we can examine our hearts individually with this statement and we can extend it to the heart of our own local church. How do we allocate our budget and what are we doing to advance the Kingdom of God?

Send article as PDF to

I had not seen this video yet…thanks and HT to my friend Mark P. for pointing it out to me.

I’m hoping that the vehicle of mainstream media and the current stage that Mr. Allen is on will be a wonderful platform to extol and exalt the glory of Jesus Christ. Congrats to Kris and best of luck in your new career…keep Jesus first!

Send article as PDF to