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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

We Are Here and There

by

Praise and Worship Sunset

Lincoln Steffens went to Russia after the Russian Revolution and saw the new collective form of government, known as communism, being tried. Things looked so good in the early days that he reported back home, "I have seen the future and it works." Of course, by 1989 the country was in big trouble, having witnessed millions of people dead in the tragic experiment.

However, the scriptures testify that we can see the future and it really does work.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. -- Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)

In the real world described here, the spiritual and natural intertwine. When Jesus appeared, the eternal invaded the temporal. Or speaking from a linear perspective, the future broke into the present. Jesus announced, "The kingdom of God is at hand." A new era was beginning. A new age was dawning. Though the willfully blind can't see beyond the temporal and thus live based on observation and intuition, those born of the Spirit can see through the temporal to the eternal.

In the mystery of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, believers share the very life of Jesus the Christ -- called "eternal life." They share his past, present and future. Because they are "in him," they are wherever and whenever he is. The apostle Paul is not talking nonsense when he says, "Your life is hidden with Christ in God."

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This is confusing to those so focused on trying to get there by some form of merit, that they can't see the finished work of Christ. Many are afraid they will be left behind at his next coming. But, you can't be left behind if you are already there. We are so united with him that we sit with him now and will appear with him when comes. In the present, we are being trained by Jesus to live as "there" people while we are here.

 

Originally published on KerygmaVentures.com. Reprinted with permission.

Praying in the End Times

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Any mention of the end times arouses curiosity among those familiar with biblical prophecy. It seems our thoughts run quickly to the end of the world and the speculation that surrounds it.

We imagine that any praying going on during such final tumultuous times would be cries for help, or pleadings for mercy. It might be helpful to define the end times as the Scripture does and see how prayer relates.

Old Testament Pictures of the Christian Journey

The apostle Paul describes the journey of Israel from Egyptian slavery to the occupation of the land of promise as a pattern for the Christian journey.

"These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come." -- 1 Corinthians 10:11 (NRSV)

Since the coming of Jesus to the earth in his incarnation, the last stage of history has begun. God spoke in many ways prior to this event, but Jesus completed the story and fulfilled the promise. We are now "restored partners." Just like Adam and Eve partnered with God to manage the earth, and Israel was God's chosen nation to carry out his plan to bless the world, we have been chosen to represent him on earth.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

The natural phenomena contained shadows of ultimate reality pointing toward a substance that is made real after the resurrection. The rock from which life-saving water flowed was Jesus. The bread that nourished starving people was Jesus. The cloud spoke of the presence of God among his people -- fulfilled in Jesus.

The people of God now consist of those who are "in Christ." We are his "end times" partners, privileged to co-labor with him in magnifying his name in all the earth.

Access to The Father

Jesus made it clear that something was different after his coming to earth. It was on the very night that he was betrayed and tried, that he told his disciples that he was going to the Father to make a place for them to have the same access to him as he, the Son, has. He told them that after his ascension, the Holy Spirit would come and make their new status real.

"On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." -- John 16:23-24 (NRSV)

We are God's partners on earth making requests from a willing Father that will be answered by heavenly power invading earthly circumstances.

It was clear that Jesus expected them to go straight to the Father, using his name, to receive what they needed to magnify his name in every circumstance. They had been captured by his love and freed by his death and resurrection. They had one primary purpose for living. They lived to make his name great on the earth. Only this would make their own joy complete.

They had been created and redeemed to glorify God. Their living, thus their praying, related to this purpose. The disciples had been confident that the Father would hear and grant the request that Jesus made. But he was telling them that on this day, they would get the same results. It was mind-boggling.

We still live in that day. We are God's partners on earth making requests from a willing Father that will be answered by heavenly power invading earthly circumstances. We are not being forced to pray as an obligation. We are privileged to pray, knowing that our Father is eager to hear and respond.

As end times people, we run to the prayer meeting. We need no shame-based motivation. It is our opportunity to participate in the kingdom of God coming to earth. We ask. He answers. His name is magnified. We worship.

The post Praying in the End Times appeared first on The Stream.

Praying in the End Times

by

Man Praying in Church

Any mention of the end times arouses curiosity among those familiar with biblical prophecy. It seems our thoughts run quickly to the end of the world and the speculation that surrounds it.

We imagine that any praying going on during such final tumultuous times would be cries for help, or pleadings for mercy. It might be helpful to define the end times as the Scripture does and see how prayer relates.

Old Testament Pictures of the Christian Journey

The apostle Paul describes the journey of Israel from Egyptian slavery to the occupation of the land of promise as a pattern for the Christian journey.

"These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come." -- 1 Corinthians 10:11 (NRSV)

Since the coming of Jesus to the earth in his incarnation, the last stage of history has begun. God spoke in many ways prior to this event, but Jesus completed the story and fulfilled the promise. We are now "restored partners." Just like Adam and Eve partnered with God to manage the earth, and Israel was God's chosen nation to carry out his plan to bless the world, we have been chosen to represent him on earth.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

The natural phenomena contained shadows of ultimate reality pointing toward a substance that is made real after the resurrection. The rock from which life-saving water flowed was Jesus. The bread that nourished starving people was Jesus. The cloud spoke of the presence of God among his people -- fulfilled in Jesus.

The people of God now consist of those who are "in Christ." We are his "end times" partners, privileged to co-labor with him in magnifying his name in all the earth.

Access to The Father

Jesus made it clear that something was different after his coming to earth. It was on the very night that he was betrayed and tried, that he told his disciples that he was going to the Father to make a place for them to have the same access to him as he, the Son, has. He told them that after his ascension, the Holy Spirit would come and make their new status real.

"On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." -- John 16:23-24 (NRSV)

We are God's partners on earth making requests from a willing Father that will be answered by heavenly power invading earthly circumstances.

It was clear that Jesus expected them to go straight to the Father, using his name, to receive what they needed to magnify his name in every circumstance. They had been captured by his love and freed by his death and resurrection. They had one primary purpose for living. They lived to make his name great on the earth. Only this would make their own joy complete.

They had been created and redeemed to glorify God. Their living, thus their praying, related to this purpose. The disciples had been confident that the Father would hear and grant the request that Jesus made. But he was telling them that on this day, they would get the same results. It was mind-boggling.

We still live in that day. We are God's partners on earth making requests from a willing Father that will be answered by heavenly power invading earthly circumstances. We are not being forced to pray as an obligation. We are privileged to pray, knowing that our Father is eager to hear and respond.

As end times people, we run to the prayer meeting. We need no shame-based motivation. It is our opportunity to participate in the kingdom of God coming to earth. We ask. He answers. His name is magnified. We worship.

The Purpose in Prayer

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Most of us are familiar with the prayer Jesus taught his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount. He was explaining how the people of his kingdom would live as they shared the eternal life he would give them after his ascension.

Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done,   On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,   As we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial,   But rescue us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13 NRSV)

A central feature of this prayer is our asking for the kingdom of God to come to earth to be implemented as it is in heaven. It is his will that is to be established. His will is for our good. His will is the rule of true goodness. We pray as those commissioned to call heaven to earth. Maybe if we knew better what that means, we might be more inclined to pray as he directed.

A Picture of Heaven

The pictures we have of what is happening in the heavenly realm is one of absolute worship of God as creator and sustainer of all things.

Holy, holy, holy, The Lord God the Almighty, Who was and is and is to come. ... You are worthy, our Lord and God, To receive glory and honor and power, For you created all things, And by your will the existed and were created. (Revelation 4:8, 11 NRSV)

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

If we do not share that adoration of God, we cannot pray the prayer Jesus gave. He is the sovereign, good God who reveals himself as Father, Son and Spirit. After the Lion of the tribe of Judah is unveiled in book of The Revelation, the scene in heaven changes to equal worship of the Lamb, who is the Son.

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth. (Revelation 5:8-10 NRSV)

The kingdom of God is the rule of the slain and resurrected Lamb. It is his love expressed in full forgiveness that rules in this realm called the kingdom of God. Those who have been forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus, the eternal Lamb, have the role of expanding that rule throughout the earth. That is how we live and how we pray.

Expanding the Kingdom

In this kingdom, we forgive as we are forgiven. We depend on the provision of the Father for daily needs. We rely on him to rescue us from the evil of Satan's intentions. We are citizens of a new kingdom enjoying the benefits of a new family with God as Father, and others as family members. We have a new mission. We no longer live for our own pleasure, but for the pleasure of our Father. He rejoices in mercy and desires that his creation be restored to original intent.

As we pray and live as restored humans, we find the meaningful purpose of our existence without even asking for it.

This certainly colors our prayers. We pray as kingdom people. We address God as Father. We worship him as the creator-redeemer, who is sovereign and loves us above all. We depend on him for daily provision. We receive his eternal forgiveness of all our sins and thereby extend his rule, forgiving those in our path.

In such praying we offer the world a new alternative to presumption, alienation, bitterness, worry and conflict. We release into the world the power of forgiveness that changes relationships and bolsters cultures. Such praying is not a burdensome obligation, but a privilege. God has graciously given us the role of requesting the intervention of heavenly rule and power. As we pray and live as restored humans, we find the meaningful purpose of our existence without even asking for it.

We have more privilege than we ever imagined. We have access to more power than we ever requested. God has graciously made us his partners in matters of earthly management.

The post The Purpose in Prayer appeared first on The Stream.

The Purpose in Prayer

by

Preach Pray Journal

Most of us are familiar with the prayer Jesus taught his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount. He was explaining how the people of his kingdom would live as they shared the eternal life he would give them after his ascension.

Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done,   On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,   As we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial,   But rescue us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13 NRSV)

A central feature of this prayer is our asking for the kingdom of God to come to earth to be implemented as it is in heaven. It is his will that is to be established. His will is for our good. His will is the rule of true goodness. We pray as those commissioned to call heaven to earth. Maybe if we knew better what that means, we might be more inclined to pray as he directed.

A Picture of Heaven

The pictures we have of what is happening in the heavenly realm is one of absolute worship of God as creator and sustainer of all things.

Holy, holy, holy, The Lord God the Almighty, Who was and is and is to come. ... You are worthy, our Lord and God, To receive glory and honor and power, For you created all things, And by your will the existed and were created. (Revelation 4:8, 11 NRSV)

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

If we do not share that adoration of God, we cannot pray the prayer Jesus gave. He is the sovereign, good God who reveals himself as Father, Son and Spirit. After the Lion of the tribe of Judah is unveiled in book of The Revelation, the scene in heaven changes to equal worship of the Lamb, who is the Son.

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth. (Revelation 5:8-10 NRSV)

The kingdom of God is the rule of the slain and resurrected Lamb. It is his love expressed in full forgiveness that rules in this realm called the kingdom of God. Those who have been forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus, the eternal Lamb, have the role of expanding that rule throughout the earth. That is how we live and how we pray.

Expanding the Kingdom

In this kingdom, we forgive as we are forgiven. We depend on the provision of the Father for daily needs. We rely on him to rescue us from the evil of Satan's intentions. We are citizens of a new kingdom enjoying the benefits of a new family with God as Father, and others as family members. We have a new mission. We no longer live for our own pleasure, but for the pleasure of our Father. He rejoices in mercy and desires that his creation be restored to original intent.

As we pray and live as restored humans, we find the meaningful purpose of our existence without even asking for it.

This certainly colors our prayers. We pray as kingdom people. We address God as Father. We worship him as the creator-redeemer, who is sovereign and loves us above all. We depend on him for daily provision. We receive his eternal forgiveness of all our sins and thereby extend his rule, forgiving those in our path.

In such praying we offer the world a new alternative to presumption, alienation, bitterness, worry and conflict. We release into the world the power of forgiveness that changes relationships and bolsters cultures. Such praying is not a burdensome obligation, but a privilege. God has graciously given us the role of requesting the intervention of heavenly rule and power. As we pray and live as restored humans, we find the meaningful purpose of our existence without even asking for it.

We have more privilege than we ever imagined. We have access to more power than we ever requested. God has graciously made us his partners in matters of earthly management.

A Picture of Prayer

by

Though the book of The Revelation is a challenge to interpret, I love reading it. It is the picture-book of the bible.

I suppose that I'm a visual learner. I love the visualization of spiritual realities presented through visions and symbols. While other New Testament authors carefully explain the conflict between evil and good, and give adequate instruction to live amid invisible spiritual dynamics, I love the pictures Revelation offers.

The Scroll With Seven Seals

Beginning in chapter 5, there's a scene where John sees the one on the throne holding a scroll that has seven seals. It seems no one can open this scroll that, evidently, explains the mystery of the ages. Weeping ensues.

Then John is told that there is someone who can open it. It is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. When he appears, it is as a lamb that has been slaughtered. We know who that is. One by one the seals are broken and the mystery unfolds.

The Prayers of the Saints

In chapter 8 there is a picture of what the prayers of the saints look like. An angel with a censor takes the incense arising (prayers of the saints) and mixes it with fire from the altar (symbolizing all that Jesus has done in his sacrificial death) and flings it back to earth with peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

What a picture of our privilege in partnership with heaven. Jesus forgave our sin, defeated our enemy, reconciled us to God, empowered us as his agents on earth. We engage the conflicts on earth and pray. The results are as dynamic as thunder, lightning and earthquakes.

It is a characteristic of prophetic literature to depict spiritual dynamics in cosmic images. Just like thunder reminds us that we are not in control, and lightning displays more power than humans can ever generate, and an earthquake illustrates how little we can control our security, answers to prayer are powerful. Things change when heaven intervenes in earthly matters.

God's Power Displayed

This picture confirms what we know about the kingdom rule of God on earth at present. Those who fear God have more to say about the events going on than we have recognized. We are not to be dismayed when confronted with difficult or even impossible circumstances. We can pray.

When the first believers were being discriminated against by the civil and religious authorities, they prayed. The place was shaken (earthquake?) and they spoke freely of the resurrected Lord (Acts 4).

We are not hapless victims of evil while we sojourn here. We rule with Christ, speaking boldly about the finished work of Jesus and boldly petitioning our Lord.

When Paul was severely persecuting the early believers, the church prayed. On a trip to Damascus, Paul was struck down by a light (lightning?) and was converted to a great Christian missionary.

Every time God spoke to his people it drowned out and displaced the sounds they were being tempted to trust. (Thunder?)

Confident in Our Lord

We are not hapless victims of evil while we sojourn here. We rule with Christ. We exercise our authority by speaking boldly about the finished work of Jesus, and by boldly petitioning our Lord for heaven's intervention.

Of course, we often face insurmountable obstacles. They are necessary for us to display the enormous power of God as he acts in behalf of his people who seek to glorify him.

The Christian life is, by nature, supernatural. We expect to live confidently in both the visible and invisible realms of reality. As one saint said after reading the account of Revelation 8:1-5, "Let's smoke up heaven."

The post A Picture of Prayer appeared first on The Stream.

A Picture of Prayer

by

Incense at the Altar

Though the book of The Revelation is a challenge to interpret, I love reading it. It is the picture-book of the bible.

I suppose that I'm a visual learner. I love the visualization of spiritual realities presented through visions and symbols. While other New Testament authors carefully explain the conflict between evil and good, and give adequate instruction to live amid invisible spiritual dynamics, I love the pictures Revelation offers.

The Scroll With Seven Seals

Beginning in chapter 5, there's a scene where John sees the one on the throne holding a scroll that has seven seals. It seems no one can open this scroll that, evidently, explains the mystery of the ages. Weeping ensues.

Then John is told that there is someone who can open it. It is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. When he appears, it is as a lamb that has been slaughtered. We know who that is. One by one the seals are broken and the mystery unfolds.

The Prayers of the Saints

In chapter 8 there is a picture of what the prayers of the saints look like. An angel with a censor takes the incense arising (prayers of the saints) and mixes it with fire from the altar (symbolizing all that Jesus has done in his sacrificial death) and flings it back to earth with peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

What a picture of our privilege in partnership with heaven. Jesus forgave our sin, defeated our enemy, reconciled us to God, empowered us as his agents on earth. We engage the conflicts on earth and pray. The results are as dynamic as thunder, lightning and earthquakes.

It is a characteristic of prophetic literature to depict spiritual dynamics in cosmic images. Just like thunder reminds us that we are not in control, and lightning displays more power than humans can ever generate, and an earthquake illustrates how little we can control our security, answers to prayer are powerful. Things change when heaven intervenes in earthly matters.

God's Power Displayed

This picture confirms what we know about the kingdom rule of God on earth at present. Those who fear God have more to say about the events going on than we have recognized. We are not to be dismayed when confronted with difficult or even impossible circumstances. We can pray.

When the first believers were being discriminated against by the civil and religious authorities, they prayed. The place was shaken (earthquake?) and they spoke freely of the resurrected Lord (Acts 4).

We are not hapless victims of evil while we sojourn here. We rule with Christ, speaking boldly about the finished work of Jesus and boldly petitioning our Lord.

When Paul was severely persecuting the early believers, the church prayed. On a trip to Damascus, Paul was struck down by a light (lightning?) and was converted to a great Christian missionary.

Every time God spoke to his people it drowned out and displaced the sounds they were being tempted to trust. (Thunder?)

Confident in Our Lord

We are not hapless victims of evil while we sojourn here. We rule with Christ. We exercise our authority by speaking boldly about the finished work of Jesus, and by boldly petitioning our Lord for heaven's intervention.

Of course, we often face insurmountable obstacles. They are necessary for us to display the enormous power of God as he acts in behalf of his people who seek to glorify him.

The Christian life is, by nature, supernatural. We expect to live confidently in both the visible and invisible realms of reality. As one saint said after reading the account of Revelation 8:1-5, "Let's smoke up heaven."

“Teenagers, What I Want You to Know”

by

There are so many things that I want to tell young people. That time in life when you are searching for meaning, looking for your place, trying to fit in. If you will give me your ear, I promise I will not judge. Here are a few suggestions that may make the journey a little less painful.

1. Pain is normal. Everyone feels it. Don’t run from pain, lean into it and allow yourself to take shape. Life is a series of ups and downs, without the downs you wouldn’t appreciate the ups and it’s the ride that will color your life and make you strong. This idea that you are the only one feeling what your feeling is common. Those feelings are very real and in some cases frightening, it’s ok. You are not in this fight alone. It is in these times that you reach beyond yourself, beyond your reasoning and your age to something higher. It’s now that you begin to lean on and trust your creator. God equipped you with everything you need and even when you can’t see it or feel it, trust Him. He has got you, just trust Him. Tell Him you trust Him, give the pain to Him, give the confusion, the heartache, the fear to Him and trust that He has you.

2. You will make mistakes, it’s a part of the growing process. No one on the planet can do it all right. Be willing to acknowledge your need for help. There is nothing shameful or weak in needing help with things. Anyone that tells you that you shouldn’t ask questions and get help is doing damage, don’t listen, don’t be a part of the lie. It is this very willingness to admit your weakness that brings you your greatest strength. When you are weak He is strong. God isn’t afraid of your weakness, He knows you are imperfect, He is cool with that. He made you so you will trust Him, not so you will do it all yourself. Trust Him and at the same time allow others to be used by Him to help you.

3. Your identity is not found in labels. No matter what label you have been given, whether good or bad, whether positive or negative. You may be gifted and talented, you may have ADHD, you may be athletic, you may be musical, and you may have no idea at all what you are. These things do not identify you. What identifies you comes from where you get your life. As a believer your life is not music, athletics, sexuality, diagnosis, these are not your life. These are things your life deals with, but who you are is who Christ is. Who you are is loved, forgiven, new and right, just to name a few. In fact, Christ is your life. Recognize that, acknowledge that and the labels and the diagnosis are just a part of your journey. Enjoy the journey, but don’t mistake those things for your life. Someday the athletics will end, the talent will fade, the diagnosis will not be such a burden, but Christ will always be your life, allow Him to live through you.

4. If you are in a situation and something doesn’t feel right, listen to that and act on it. Trust your heart. Listen to the still small voice in your heart and allow it to guide you. It will save you from mistakes, hurt and disappointment. Listen to those who have had this journey already, people like your grandparents. Respect their knowledge and their years. They may have different views than you, but try and see the world through their eyes. You don’t have to agree, but listen, respect and give them your time. Theirs is limited.

5. Finally, when you are laying in your bed at night with the lights out and your eyes closed, think about Christ life moving through your hormones and your veins. See His light transforming you, see yourself swimming around in it. Drink it in. Try and imagine the depth of the love that He has for you, with no regard for faults, or labels. Accept that love, see yourself running in a wide-open field of it. Then wake up knowing that His life is your life, His strength is your strength, His peace is your peace, His mind is your mind and go conquer the day!

Wynema I Clark – 4/24/2017

Beyond Resurrection

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Resurrection Sunday is by far the most dynamic day of the year for the Christian. All the hopes of humanity are fulfilled in the power that raised Jesus from the dead. It is so much more than a doctrine. The resurrection declares that a new creation has begun within the old creation, and the possibilities of transformation are mind-boggling.

If (since) Jesus is really raised from the dead, and we are given his life (the eternal kind of life), then we know we shall forever live with him. But there is more. We share the power that raised Jesus from the dead. The ramifications of that are limitless.

His Power for Those Who Believe

The apostle Paul prayed “that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints. And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:18-20 NRSV)

 
 
 
 
 

The same power that raised Jesus is in us who believe. It enables us to say "no" to the lures of sin, to forgive the offender, to love the undeserving, to lay our lives down promoting God's great redemption, to rejoice always, to believe against great odds, to walk on with hope when darkness seems to prevail, to sing through tears, to stand alone for the gospel, and to bless those who curse us.

It is truly supernatural. But we must acknowledge that the resurrection introduced a new kind of creation to the world. Those who share the resurrected life of Jesus are characterized by transformation. Their stories reveal drastic change.

Without shame, they own their desperation while embracing his gracious intervention. They know that they cannot live by the powers of their own personality. They need the "other worldly" power they receive from him. They expect that power to enable them to express an "other worldly" kind of love that never fails, though it is often working behind the scenes.

They also expect the Father to answer their prayers according to that same power. They are not praying to simply relieve stress. It is not self-talk. They are aware that they are partners with God in getting his purpose done on earth, and that they are privileged to pray while he is delighted to answer.

Living By His Power

Truly celebrating Resurrection Day includes living each day considering the glorious explosion of power demonstrated that day. Each day is an opportunity to see that power again. Our needs are inviting us to enter the realm of resurrection-living. We don't have to wait until next Easter to celebrate resurrection. We live by the power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

The post Beyond Resurrection appeared first on The Stream.

Beyond Resurrection

by

Hand of Christ

Resurrection Sunday is by far the most dynamic day of the year for the Christian. All the hopes of humanity are fulfilled in the power that raised Jesus from the dead. It is so much more than a doctrine. The resurrection declares that a new creation has begun within the old creation, and the possibilities of transformation are mind-boggling.

If (since) Jesus is really raised from the dead, and we are given his life (the eternal kind of life), then we know we shall forever live with him. But there is more. We share the power that raised Jesus from the dead. The ramifications of that are limitless.

His Power for Those Who Believe

The apostle Paul prayed “that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints. And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:18-20 NRSV)

 
 
 
 
 

The same power that raised Jesus is in us who believe. It enables us to say "no" to the lures of sin, to forgive the offender, to love the undeserving, to lay our lives down promoting God's great redemption, to rejoice always, to believe against great odds, to walk on with hope when darkness seems to prevail, to sing through tears, to stand alone for the gospel, and to bless those who curse us.

It is truly supernatural. But we must acknowledge that the resurrection introduced a new kind of creation to the world. Those who share the resurrected life of Jesus are characterized by transformation. Their stories reveal drastic change.

Without shame, they own their desperation while embracing his gracious intervention. They know that they cannot live by the powers of their own personality. They need the "other worldly" power they receive from him. They expect that power to enable them to express an "other worldly" kind of love that never fails, though it is often working behind the scenes.

They also expect the Father to answer their prayers according to that same power. They are not praying to simply relieve stress. It is not self-talk. They are aware that they are partners with God in getting his purpose done on earth, and that they are privileged to pray while he is delighted to answer.

Living By His Power

Truly celebrating Resurrection Day includes living each day considering the glorious explosion of power demonstrated that day. Each day is an opportunity to see that power again. Our needs are inviting us to enter the realm of resurrection-living. We don't have to wait until next Easter to celebrate resurrection. We live by the power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

What Should We Do When We Fail?

by

Father Hugging Crying Son

It just popped up as a text on my smart phone. I read it and choked up.

Religion: "I've messed up. My dad is going to kill me."

Son-ship: "I've messed up. I'd better call my dad."

This accurately expresses the deepest heart-cry of both a failing child and a caring father. Every sane father wants his child to call when he/she is in trouble. There is no mire too messy to get in, if your child is in it. Every failing child wishes for a father who would understand, and get involved.

Literature is replete with examples of such stories. Maybe the most popular is the story of the "prodigal son." (Luke 15) The younger of two sons decides he is ready for independence and goes off on his own, making poor decisions, He ends up slopping pigs, hungry enough to eat the pig's food. All the while, the father watches and waits for his son’s call. As soon as he sees a tiny spec on the road home, the father runs with robe, shoes, ring, to invite the boy to the biggest feast ever.

That is the Father's heart.

A New Understanding of the Father

Why don't failing ones call dad? Why are so many still slopping around in a pig pen when there is welcoming Father awaiting? Could it be that alienation is preferable to risking rejection? We are never sure we will be rejected until we chance it. Maybe the thought of being finally and fully rejected is too much of a gamble. We instead insist on living in self-imposed isolation.

Maybe disappointing dad is too painful. We can't afford to lose whatever pride he might still have in us. We must keep up the appearance so he will approve us to some extent.

The prodigal must have fought with such thoughts when it became evident to him that his plan was not working. Maybe he thought his father expected him to make it on his own. Or maybe he thought he could outlast the failure and his dad would never know. He probably just couldn't entertain the thought that his dad would know what a mess he had made.

Shame makes a coward out of us all. The lies we believe when we've pushed his presence away are devastating. We are so self-conscious, we can't see reality. That is why the father ran toward the prodigal with a robe in his hand. His shame was covered by the father's robe.

It is why God came to Adam and Eve with skins for clothing when they were hiding behind bushes in the Garden of Eden. It is why God clothes us with the robe of righteousness that belongs to Jesus.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

The prodigal evidently became so miserable that he was willing to risk rejection. He still didn't understand his father's heart. He came with a deal. He planned to offer servitude for provisions. He was so surprised! No deals. No negotiations. Sons in the house must be sons in the house. The father offered full restoration. Undeserved, unmerited, unconditional, unending acceptance and partnership. It began to dawn on the son. "He knows! He loves!"

It is not probation. It is full son-ship. Partnership. A new robe to cover the shame. New ring to signify family authority. New shoes that identify family members. A new understanding of the Father.

Call Dad

Once when David was hiding in a cave from a crazed enemy, he called dad.

"With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him ... I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." -- Psalms 142:1-2, 5

Call him! He knows!

What Should We Do When We Fail?

by

It just popped up as a text on my smart phone. I read it and choked up.

Religion: "I've messed up. My dad is going to kill me."

Son-ship: "I've messed up. I'd better call my dad."

This accurately expresses the deepest heart-cry of both a failing child and a caring father. Every sane father wants his child to call when he/she is in trouble. There is no mire too messy to get in, if your child is in it. Every failing child wishes for a father who would understand, and get involved.

Literature is replete with examples of such stories. Maybe the most popular is the story of the "prodigal son." (Luke 15) The younger of two sons decides he is ready for independence and goes off on his own, making poor decisions, He ends up slopping pigs, hungry enough to eat the pig's food. All the while, the father watches and waits for his son’s call. As soon as he sees a tiny spec on the road home, the father runs with robe, shoes, ring, to invite the boy to the biggest feast ever.

That is the Father's heart.

A New Understanding of the Father

Why don't failing ones call dad? Why are so many still slopping around in a pig pen when there is welcoming Father awaiting? Could it be that alienation is preferable to risking rejection? We are never sure we will be rejected until we chance it. Maybe the thought of being finally and fully rejected is too much of a gamble. We instead insist on living in self-imposed isolation.

Maybe disappointing dad is too painful. We can't afford to lose whatever pride he might still have in us. We must keep up the appearance so he will approve us to some extent.

The prodigal must have fought with such thoughts when it became evident to him that his plan was not working. Maybe he thought his father expected him to make it on his own. Or maybe he thought he could outlast the failure and his dad would never know. He probably just couldn't entertain the thought that his dad would know what a mess he had made.

Shame makes a coward out of us all. The lies we believe when we've pushed his presence away are devastating. We are so self-conscious, we can't see reality. That is why the father ran toward the prodigal with a robe in his hand. His shame was covered by the father's robe.

It is why God came to Adam and Eve with skins for clothing when they were hiding behind bushes in the Garden of Eden. It is why God clothes us with the robe of righteousness that belongs to Jesus.

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream >>

The prodigal evidently became so miserable that he was willing to risk rejection. He still didn't understand his father's heart. He came with a deal. He planned to offer servitude for provisions. He was so surprised! No deals. No negotiations. Sons in the house must be sons in the house. The father offered full restoration. Undeserved, unmerited, unconditional, unending acceptance and partnership. It began to dawn on the son. "He knows! He loves!"

It is not probation. It is full son-ship. Partnership. A new robe to cover the shame. New ring to signify family authority. New shoes that identify family members. A new understanding of the Father.

Call Dad

Once when David was hiding in a cave from a crazed enemy, he called dad.

"With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him ... I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." -- Psalms 142:1-2, 5

Call him! He knows!

The post What Should We Do When We Fail? appeared first on The Stream.

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