M o v i n g

I have decided, after little consideration, to switch a Wordpress blog and discontinue this one. Please go to ihopbecky.wordpress.com for all future Becky Hill blogging. Blessings and the grace of the Lord be with you all!

Onething 2007

www.ihop.org/onething2007 Come this December.

Christology 12

I am going to be starting what I am calling a "c12." For me, this is totally exciting... well more than exciting. Many posts ago, I commented on my experiential discovery of how the revelation of Christ is premier by saying, "There is a power on the prayerful study of the Person of Christ that really does supernaturally exhilarate and strengthen the heart." Amanda Beattie is actually starting a similar group as well, which I might look into for ideas (see Word of Life Bible Study).

I am trying to hash out how I will do this thing, so really this post is essentially to ask for suggestions. So please, comment with your thoughts about what this could/should look like. Basically, what would you do if you wanted to study the highest revelation of God (Jesus Christ) over a long period of time with a group of people that love the subject.

In the meantime, here's a great quote from Pere Jacques, a Jesus fanatic:

We cannot see Christ and remain as we are. We cannot exchange a look with Christ and not be overcome with a total conversion.

This is what I would like to help you to do: to lead you to Christ so that you might, in the silence of retreat, exchange that glance with Christ; a true, living, and real contact that is not the fruit of the imagination, but rather reaches the heart of things as they are. Christ is a living being who is here, there, and everywhere. To see Christ, we must become poor. Riches drag down the soul. One has to become small in stature, that is, detached from the goods of this world, for such riches foster earthly desires. As you are well aware, Saint john of the Cross warns: "Whether one is attached to earth by a silken thread or a old cable, the result is the same: one cannot soar to the heights." One attachment, however small, that violates obedience, poverty, or chastity, and draws us away from God, may be nothing by worldly standards. Nonetheless, that attachment comes between God and ourselves and impedes our ascent toward sanctity.

Christ is all in all. Through him, all is made; through him all comes to us. Therefore, we must see Christ. I stress this point; we must truly see Christ. I sometimes think that we should define the term Christian as "Someone who has seen Christ." There are only a few genuine Christians, because only a few souls have seen Christ. Countless baptized persons, including even ordained priests and professed religious, remain lukewarm in spirit. Such tepid souls do not pulsate with life nor are they enthusiastic enough to give their life for Christ. They have never seen Christ. Their knowledge of the Lord is verbal, not vital. However, we must strive to love Christ passionately and prepare to see him face to face when we die. The soul that neither misses Christ now nor longs to see him at life's end does not honestly love him. To make such a claim would be a lie. When we love someone, we long to see that person, even at the risk of death. All the more so, given him limitless love, we want to long to see Christ face to face.

Let us now turn our attention to Saint John of the Cross. In his splendid writings, he explains how the person who loves God gradually pierces the veil that keeps us from seeing the Lord. Eventually, the moment comes, when that veil is totally sundered and the person goes forth to our beloved God. When I speak of seeing Christ, I mean the mysterious, misty vision of faith, which is the fruit of the prayer of simple regard and not the result of any activity on our part. I mean the experience of being "Swept up" by Christ himself. When we have diligently devoted ourselves to charity, obedience, service, and self-control, and when Christ has seen the constancy of our commitment, then he himself comes to us. On that day, we become enveloped in the divine being and ecstatically discover the presence of God himself. We know that the Lord is there. He speaks to us, but not in words. The human heart communicates directly with the heart of Christ in the blissful adoration of simple regard. This eartfelt vision of Christ compels the soul so to love Christ and so to make him loved that nothing else on earth can inspire greater love than the Lord. Wealth then is as nothing and poverty is prized precisely because is allows us greater intimacy with Christ. NO other comfort, no other countenance and no other solace suffices. Christ alone provides satisfaction.

How glorious is this intimacy with Christ!

The Wasted Life

For three hours today I got to listen and discuss the foundation of night & day prayer, which I like to call 'The Wasted Life.' Stephen Venable is the one who did most of the talking (since he lives and breathes this reality), so here's a snippet from some of his thoughts,

"The testimony of heaven is that Christ is worthy of all glory, honor, and affection. This truth concerning the One that sets the angels aflame stands at the center of night and day prayer and all expressions of love for Him. The beauty of His mercy and majesty begets love in our soul, and we are compelled to abandon ourselves to radical selflessness in order that He might be adored incessantly. We must find our strength and resolve outside of ourselves and within the consuming beauty of Jesus Christ - He is our portion and reward. (Numbers 18:20) All that is lovely and comely originates in Him, the perfection and consummation of all beauty. When His ineffable worth strikes us, no sacrifice seems unreasonable.

"Such vehement love appears to be a waste to others only because they cannot perceive His beauty. In stark contrast to the awe-struck angels and enraptured saints in the cloud of witnesses, on the earth Christ is largely forgotten, mocked, ignored, and despised. When He is revealed and all eyes see His splendor, the wisdom of devotion will be vindicated. Yet now, in this age of waiting, to throw our lives into expressions of love that cause us natural loss appear absurd on the surface...

"As we give ourselves to this occupation [night and day prayer], there are no eyes watching our act of service and no one to applaud our devotion. It is in relative silence and hiddenness that we spend our strength in groaning and tears, loving One we cannot see and pleading to Him on behalf of those we will never know and who will never repay us. As in the story of Jesus' anointing [by Mary of Bethany], the Church looks upon the offering of love in night and day worship and views it as a misuse of time, money, and resource. The day will come when tens of thousands will be gathered to Kansas City and the cities of the earth and many will be indignant because all of those people could be sharing the gospel, feeding the poor, or training other believers...

"As stated above, the testimony of heaven is that God is worthy of incessant adoration and ceaseless praise. Night and day prayer is inevitable when the saints on the earth acquire a living, consuming conviction of His immeasurable worth."

How I Miss Those Hood Boys...

Now that I've moved out, my life is sadly a little less eventful due to the lack of small children living in my home.

Coolster!

I got a sweet ride today--a blue moped! It has a totally rad name. Prepare yourself for... the Coolster F5 *flash!*

With the gas prices the way they are and my budget the way it is, I have been looking to get a moped for some time now. The past two weeks have been more of a intentional effort than usual though, with the start of my rigorous school schedule and all that entails, so I've become well acquainted with eBay and Craig's List. After much searching and a little heart ache with deals that fell through, I finally got the seemingly perfect one.

This great bike is produced by the ChuanL Motorcycle Company in China, which produces over 300,000 motorbikes a year, and is a very reliable form of everyday transportation with very low maintenance costs. Oil changes are more frequent in these bikes than the family car. And the drive belt may wear out after a few thousand miles of use. But compared to the cost of driving a car, these bikes are very cheap to own and operate. The Coolster is a large moped/motor scooter at 71 inches, which compares against many mopeds at just 48-53 inches. A trunk kit is included with the Coolster F5 as well, which is a $59-99 option on many brands. This little moped gets anywhere from 70-100 mpg, and it's only a 50cc, which means I don't have to have a license or insurance to ride it around Missouri. It goes up to 50 mph (that's really fast for a 50cc), so it's perfect for my life within the context of IHOP.

From now on I'll be zipping around with my awesome Chinese scooter, so watch out!

Leadership

This week was the first week of my third year at FSM, and I am very excited about it. The Lord has definitely set me on a different path than I envisioned at the first, but I am so thankful for it! This year, I will be having a more "hands on" experience with my training, and this basically means a lot more work (the good kind).

One of the main aspects that I will be learning this year is leadership, which has been a common theme throughout my life. People have told me ever since I was young, "Becky, you are such a leader," and for some reason I always agreed. Much of what I based my assessment on has been my personality type, since I have a natural ease of speaking and interacting with people, as well as the ability to take charge in necessary situations.

However, since I have been at IHOP, I have had quite the wake up call as to what leadership actually means and looks like. Serving in a house of prayer is like taking a crash-course in leadership, and I've been kind of thrown into areas of leadership that I never expected to have. With most institutions, you only have to see those you're leading and those over you once or twice a week. With a house of prayer, you see them day after night after day, rain or shine, grumpy or chipper. Though I am so grateful to the Lord and those around me for the positions I've been given, I am not grateful because I like to lead but because I need the purifying fire it brings to get the level of sanctification I'm shooting for.

Because I'm in the Worship and Prayer Program at FSM, I'm getting training to lead a house of prayer for myself. That's right... I'm being trained to be the Mike Bickle of an IHOP of my own. The thought of this used to be exciting to me, but now it is quite sobering if not terrifying. The level of humility and perseverance it takes to establish, sustain, and further an IHOP is far, far beyond language, and I have felt the burden of it in just the one year of lower-level leadership. It is very painful to lead, but if the pain is brought to the Lord, it is redemptive.

How is it painful? Leading takes up your time, emotional energy, prayer, resources, and much freedom (whether you do it in a right or wrong way). Without the Lord's grace and sustaining hand, there is no possibility of doing it the right/redemptive way. Is it always painful? Yes. Jesus Himself is the ultimate and final Leader, and He showed us that the only way to lead is through humility, which usually means laying down what you think is best for the sake of others. He, being God incarnate, laid down His status and His very life in order to bring us to glory.

Throughout Scripture, every leader that is committed to following the Lord feels the weight of their own weakness and yet is commissioned to lead anyway. How is it that a perfect God would use very imperfect vessels to fulfill His perfect will? It is not simply that He uses people that are imperfect to begin with and then do better. Actually, as leaders mature (both Biblically and in my experience), they are ever-increasingly aware of their weakness.

How then is leadership redemptive? Paul is one of the ultimate windows into this reality, in that the Lord made it very clear to him saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Who is this God who uses our weakness to not only show how perfect His leadership is but also to actually perfect us?

As I grow and have more responsibilities given to me, I have many times felt like Moses (though probably not to the same extreme) in Numbers 11. The key phrase is at the end of the prayer when Moses reveals the source of his anguish, "...do not let me see my wretchedness." However, the Lord is teaching me not to stop at the place of my own wretchedness but to persevere unto redemption. Humility is more than a mindset, it's a commitment.

All that to say, please pray for me as I delve more into the leadership of a house of prayer this year!

Heading Out

Right now I'm packing to head out to my little dusty city of Reno, and I am going to have the most rockin trip. My sister's getting married!! She is my best friend, and I am so excited to see this union come to pass. I get to be the maid of honor, which is never something that I expected to be in a wedding. All of the plans are beautiful, and I can't wait to have to call her "Jessica Severne," although it's a little sad as well. I know I'm going to be weeping at the ceremony...

Many people are coming to the wedding that I haven't gotten to see in a long time. It's funny what praying for people does to your heart for them, and my heart has really been longing to see everyone. My mama and step-dad John are of course going to be there, which is really exciting for me.

However, one of the most exciting parts of the trip for me is to get to see my neice and nephew! Aubrey just turned 3, and Owen is not yet 2--they have stolen my heart in such a way, which I never throught would be the reality of being an aunt. In January, the whole fam is moving out to KC to go through Intro to IHOP together, and I am ecstatic to get to live with them.

To top off the trip, my daddo is taking his girls on one last road trip with just us and him (it tells you what a phenomenal guy Keith is to agree to take care of the kids so my sis can be free to do this, especially so soon after their wedding). We're going to Northern California for about 3-4 days to hang out in San Fran, go to Marine World, and finish with a football game between my dad's all-time favorite team (the Denver Broncos) and their rivals (the 49ers). Road trips are the ultimate agenda item with my family, but this is my first time I get to contribute to the drivers.

All that to say, if you couldn't tell, I am very jazzed to go, see my Renoites, and soak up the love of my family. I leave this afternoon, so keep me and my family in your prayers!

The Tenderness of Christ

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I'm back in the realm of the spoken word! Hallelujah for the time the Lord apportioned to seek His face in a more intentional and focused way. It was precious, and I am so truly grateful to have had these last 40 days.

Now talking, I am awfully struck by how wonderful and terrifying the tongue is. However, I don't want to get in to that right now, so you'll have to just call me or grab me to ask about it (verbally :)).



As I talked about a few posts ago, one of the main things the Lord gave to me during this season was the truth of the power and life of the knowledge of Christ. I have spoken about it before, prayed it before, and even believed it to be true, but having this extended time where all the talk was stripped away and I could simply behold Him in the Word and with the Spirit, I am actually beginning to experience the reality of it.

John 9:39-10:19 has been a wonderful companion and window into His heart. This is the famous portion of Scripture in which Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He is contrasting His way of leadership with the Pharisees/spiritual leadership of that day. Jesus rebukes them because they are those who are acting like hired hands because they are not concerned about the sheep but about the pay, and in rebuking them He reveals how He Himself shepherds and feels toward His sheep.

Jesus directly addresses the Pharisees' sinful leadership over His people as being that with which He has a controversy. The famous "steal, kill and destroy" scripture we so often use to describe Satan is actually (when read in context) directed towards the leaders who attempt to lead His sheep by another way than through the faith and hope in Christ.

He then describes His own leadership, saying that He lays down His life for His sheep because He cares for them. A hired hand isn't concerned about what happens to the sheep as long as they get the job done because he's in it for the pay. But Christ cares only about the sheep. He's not taking care of us and interceeding for us to just check off His task list before the Father. He is concerned about the way we are feeling, what we are thinking, and where we are going. He willingly lays Himself down without regard to the cost, for He knows them and is concerned for them.

It is the same way with Paul and Timothy, as Paul describes in Philippians 2:20-21,

"For I have no one else [speaking of Timothy] of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus."

Although Paul had some of the most mistreated and hard-core disciples under him, there was no one other than Timothy who was doing it with the motivation of Christ's interests, which was solely for the welfare of the Church. They all had their own agenda and sought their own honor, even though they were going harder than probably most Christians of the day.

Jesus (and hence the Father) is not in any way out to kill us, steal from us, or destroy us. Rather, He is wholly consumed with concern for our well-being. Many times, we may feel like He takes this secret pleasure in seeing us suffer and squirm, but He is wholly without guile, and altogether for us (even when circumstances seem contrary). We must approach Him in faith with this posture, for if we come to Him in agreement with the accuser saying that He is harsh, cruel, or just unfeeling, there can never be true trust and love formed in our heart toward Him.

Thank You, Good Shepherd. You gave all the riches of Your house for love, and You truly, utterly scorned the cost of it.

Improving the Silence

"Don't speak unless you can improve the silence..." -English proverb

If I have learned nothing else during this fast, I have surely recognized the superfluity of most of what I would have spent my time saying. James 3 is one of the most clear statements from the Word of God concerning the power of the spoken word in our lives. However, less commonly known but synonymous in importance is Ephesians 4-5. I encourage you guys to read both of these passages. Five minutes worth of reading + receiving + responding in the mundane is how change happens, both in great and small things. This, though it seems like a small thing, happens to be the Great Stumbling Block.

...Little did I know that two days after creating this post, Mike Bickle would teach on the exact same thing at our Sunday service. He said it so clearly, please listen to it--don't worry... you have the time: click here to get the message!

Quote from Happy Are You Poor

“It must be noticed that the values of the kingdom are just about 180 degrees removed from the values of the world… It is assumed that every one knows them and that most people live by them. What are these premises: prestige is a primary value… bodily comfort and pleasure are indispensable… this life is all we have, and so let’s enjoy it to the full… impressing people with one’s possessions and accomplishments and attractiveness is important… sexual excitement and satisfaction are crucial… success is ‘coming out on top’ in relation to others… money is a must, for without it one can have very little of anything else worth having in life.

“If we turn to the pages of the New Testament we find a picture as opposite as it could be: humility, being last, unknown, hidden in Christ, is a condition for getting into the kingdom… prestige is worthless and even an obstacle to greatness… the hard road and the narrow gate, carrying the cross every day is immensely important… dying to our selfishness and crucifying our illusory desires are indispensable… impressing people is of no importance at all, whereas being pleasing to the divine eyes is everything… virginity is a favored and privileged state, and chaste fidelity in marriage mirrors the very union of Christ and his Church… one may not try to best others; rather he is to serve them as though he were a slave… it most difficult, indeed it is humanly impossible, for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

-Thomas Dubay, Happy Are You Poor, pp. 57-58


Great book--short but taking me so long to read, and absolutely rending my heart to shreds in the process. I highly, highly recommend it.

Silence

Finally, I think I'm ready to post, and I actually have time to! We're almost half way through this 40 day fast, and I am so proud and provoked by all those around me. Being silent for these 17 days has really given me the ability to enjoy others, although they feel totally awkward because I can't say anything to them.

So what has the Lord been saying in these past two weeks? Wow... well isn't that a question. The answer is actually a lot simpler than I thought it would be. I would bring it down to three points:

1) The Centrality of Christ
It is so easy to get overly acquainted with the idea of Jesus. Key word--idea. When it comes down to it, do I know Him? If I were standing face to face with Him, and we were talking to one another about what we love about one another, how much would I have to say about Him? What would be the content of our conversation?
In former times, the Lord revealed Himself in many ways and through many voices. But now, He speaks to us with one thunderous Word--His Son (Hebrews 1:1-3). Throughout the book of John, Jesus makes the most outrageous statements about Himself. Despite all that God had revealed before His birth, John 1:18 explicitly says, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten of the Father, He has explained Him." In His life, death, and glorification, Jesus is the resounding voice of the Lord speaking to humanity.
Being a person who delights in the knowledge of God, I have many times expounded on the rhetoric of this truth. However, now that I am taking the time to look through the Scriptures and come to Him with them in prayer (John 5:39-40), it is astounding to find that what I've said is actually true! There is a power on the prayerful study of the Person of Christ that really does supernaturally exhilarate and strengthen the heart. It takes a little while to get past the mundane of it, but when it's trudged through, I come out on the other side feeling alive and clean.

2) The Jealousy of the Holy Spirit
I have God living on the inside of me. He is always there, no matter if I feel Him or not, and He is always passionately desiring all of my affection and attention, whether I am aware of it or not. His jealousy is burning more hotly than any person I have ever known or ever will know, and yet in His eternal gentleness He restrains from taking over before I want Him to. He wants agreement, and yet He's not demanding because He wants it deeply and profoundly.
The only love God requires from us is non-obligatory love. He is the ultimate stalker, yet in the words of Alicia Good, "the only difference between a victim and a lover is the nature of their beloved." Praise the Lord that we have a Beloved who is like no other.
To make this more concrete and not so ethereal, let me say this: God really offers us continual communion with the Holy Spirit. He is actually calling every believer to it. This does not mean that He is offering an experience of unbroken ecstasy (which we will have in the coming Age), but He is a Person who is always there inside wanting a friend to converse with. Communion is conversation, plain and simple, though sometimes nothing is said at all. God is jealous for it.

3) The Urgency of Knowing the Lord
At the end of the first week of the fast, I went to see a movie at the dollar theatre called "Amazing Grace." If you have not seen this movie, I would highly recommend it. It is the story of William Wilberforce, the man who spear-headed the abolition of slavery in Great Britain. After seeing this movie with some friends, they were spurred on while I was left completely disillusioned.
What am I doing in this life? Why do I even exist in this world? Am I actually living for things that matter? Am I just living autonomously or am I really partnering with the Lord in bringing His kingdom to the earth? All of my time throughout the day, all of my money, all of my energy--what is it unto? Yes, I found myself in the middle of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Well, after much soul-seeking and having words with the Lord, I came to a conclusion. There is only one thing that actually matters is knowing Him. I came into this world with nothing and I will leave it with nothing. During the in-between time, He has great plans for my life, but they're all unto this one thing.
In Matthew 25, there are ten virgins waiting for the return of the Bridegroom (Jesus); five were called wise by God and five were deemed foolish. Yet they all fell asleep. In the mundane of life, they all lived in the reality of going about as though things were normal. When finally the cry was heard that He is coming, the only ones who were ready to respond rightly were those who had stored up history in the prayerful knowledge of God (oil). The others actually were not able to respond, and they fell away from the Lord into apostasy and eternal damnation.
There is reason to tremble at the thought of not knowing Him. The only thing that God calls wise is sticking it out and contending to know Him intimately. How is this done? Day by day, with violent pursuit.

There are several other topics that I have in my mind, but these are the main three. If you do want to leave a remark, please comment not only on what I said, but what the Lord is putting on your heart during this season. Grace to you all!

Las Vegas

I'm not ready to post about the fast yet, but here's something you will want to check out in the meantime (especially my Renoites out there).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S729tElgf-Y

Also, if you're interested getting a understanding of what this 40 day fast is all about, listen to the messages on this site:

http://www.heburnsforme.com

Wrath of God vs. Love of God (Modern Day)

With the 40 day fast only two days away, many things are racing through my mind and occupying my conversations. Right now, the Lord is extending His hand in mercy toward the USA as a nation, offering us forgiveness if we rend our hearts and turn to Him. Yet, if we refuse to truly repent and tear our hearts (go to painful and costly measures to obey Him), He will judge our nation very soon.

We have been blessed in ways that other countries have never even imagined possible with economic abundance, political freedom, and spiritual renewal. And how have we lived before Him in light of this? It does not take a keen eye to know that we have delighted ourselves in ourselves, feeding the lusts of our flesh by overeating, big spending, casual immorality, and all while mocking the name and nature of God as though to say, "He doesn't see; He doesn't hear; He doesn't care." However, we are in the same predicament as those in each of the five case studies that I have gone through. If we refuse to come to Him willingly, He will do whatever is necessary to keep us from eternal torment, and the Twin Towers as well as hurricane Katrina will seem like mere whispers compared to the thunder of His voice.

That is why the Lord is giving us a window of mercy, and if we turn to Him willingly during this time, He will relent from bringing wrath. So, what does it mean to turn? What does it look like? Is it actually possible? Heartily and overwhelmingly the answer is yes. Turning is not some mystical event that happens to us, but actually it is a reality that is quite attainable.

It simply means two things:

1) coming to the Lord in prayer and repentance, with confession and gratitude. We do this with broken hearts, asking for forgiveness in faith that the blood of Jesus is enough to wash us from all sin and fill us with grace to walk in righteousness in relationship with the Holy Spirit. This is not a one-time event but a continual posture of the heart.

2) making daily decisions to refuse sin and choose obedience to the Word. This is where the tearing aspect really takes place, and it doesn't happen casually. It takes aggressive commitment and leaning on the Holy Spirit to choose righteousness in the little areas of life.

The Lord loves mercy, and therefore He really will receive us wholeheartedly if we turn to Him, just as a loving father receives back his lost son (Luke 15:11-32). Yet we really have to turn, for He also loves righteousness and hates wickedness. This is His name that He proclaimed to Moses in order for him to be able to rightly lead a rebellious people into righteousness: "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty (unrepentant) unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations" (Exodus 34:6-7).

He gave us the key to responding rightly to His name/nature instead of hardening our hearts like the generation of Moses did, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me" (Hebrews 3:15). It is today--choice by choice, moment by moment. When you realize you've been walking in disobedience or sin, turn back to Him. No matter how many times it takes, turn to Him with sincerity, truly asking for forgiveness and strength to walk in holiness. He will give us what we ask (in word and deed) of Him. We must ask rightly, for many will ask to be hardened before the end, willfully choosing eternal torment rather than the fulfillment and joy of loosing their lives to follow Him to gain eternal life. We cannot afford to wait for tomorrow to respond, for He will come at an hour we do not know if we are not being attentive right now.

In response to this call to return to the Lord, I am going to be joining this national fast by doing 40 days of silence. I know the Lord has called me to proclaim the word of the Lord, and therefore I am committed to consecrating my lips and heart to Him and Him alone. So, you can e-mail me (which I will be doing on a limited basis) during this time, but I will not be able to talk on the phone, etc. Please read the post from Wednesday if you are unaware of what fast I am referring to. If you aren't planning on joining this fast, I would ask that you reconsider. Feel free to call me before Monday night to discuss options of what you could fast.

If you do not feel that fasting food would be a good option, or even if you are simply wondering about whether or not to fast, I will this: take out TV and/or secular music for forty days and spend time reading the Bible instead, and see if He does not encounter you. A media fast is one of the most necessary things during these 40 days, so if nothing else, turn to Him in this way. But I challenge you not to do the bare minimum. He is offering so much if we will only posture ourselves to receive it (for we cannot earn His gifts, but it does take an open heart to receive them).

Gomer

I just listened to part one of Mike Bickle's teaching on "The Divine Romance: The Book of Hosea," and I was struck by one phrase (well, more than just one, but this really hit me). If you don't know the story of Hosea, God called him as a prophet to marry a harlot named Gomer in order to show Himself as a Bridegroom to the human race for the first time in history. In speaking of Hosea's calling as a prophet to the nation of Israel Mike said, "God didn't say, 'Go endure her.' He says, 'Go and love this woman... Give your whole being to her like I am to Israel...' He called this man to embody the message."

What is man that You are mindful of him? What is man that You love him this way?

Calling America to 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer: May 28-July 7, 2007

God has graciously raised up Lou Engle to call America to a 40 day fast. Lou has mobilized thousands of leaders who are committed to this vision as well. All the major Christian TV networks are announcing it to get the word out - it is time for America to fast and pray as a nation. The article below, written by Lou, explains the urgency behind this initiative. The IHOP-KC family is standing with The Call and belivers during these 40 days. Please forward this to everyone you know who has a heart for America.

LOU ENGLE
http://www.fastandpray.com/

There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these divine moments, key men, women and even entire generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.

The rebellious generation of the ’60s seized its moment, and history crashed into the deep abyss of drug addiction, sexual immorality, hatred for authority and a rejection of the law of God. In 1967, there was a culminating and defining moment in that rebellion, when 100,000 young people, ages 15–25 flocked to San Francisco to experience the hippie movement. This mass convergence was sparked by the hit song, “San Francisco” (Wear a Flower in your Hair). Once there, these young adults experimented with LSD, pot, casual sex and Eastern mysticism in what became known as the “Summer of Love.”

When these newly recruited ‘Flower Children’ returned home at the end of the summer, they brought with them new styles and ideas, flooding the cities of the US and Europe with a message that opposed authority and scorned conservative morals. This counterculture rebellion was fueled by music and art, which rapidly shifted global culture.

For 40 years, we have been falling headlong into a black moral morass in America along with the western world. We are reaping the waves of destruction in every sector of our post Christian society. Can America survive another 40 years? We are declaring “NO! A thousand times NO!” Unless a massive spiritual shift occurs at this moment, our children will live under an antichrist system and Godless enculturation that will bring about the demise of America, as we know it.

But God has a prescription for such a massive shift and it is revealed in the power of the great transitional 40-day fast. God, in His sovereign control over the parade of history, delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. Longing to release a moral code that would give foundations for righteousness, for time and eternity, God summoned Moses to a 40-day fast on Mount Sinai. Through this fast, all of history changed and the law of God was delivered from Heaven to Earth. Therefore, if America is going to return to God, it must recover that law again as its foundation for truth.

Elijah, at the height of Jezebel’s cultic dominion over Israel fasted 40 days, broke the spell of Jezebel off of his own life and received a mandate to anoint the next generation. Elijah’s fast unleashed a movement that toppled Jezebel’s regime of hell, which perpetrated the destruction of family, the killing of innocent children, the silencing of the voice of God’s people and the widespread culture of sexual immorality. The fruit of this fast culminated in the utter destruction of Baal worship in Israel.

Also in the fullness of time, the Glorious Gospel era was born when Jesus fasted 40 days and those who sat in darkness saw a great light. Clearly the 40-day fast is Heaven’s great transitional prescription, moving nations from failure to fulfillment of promise. Is it any surprise that when Jesus was to enter into His great sacrifice—where death would be swallowed up in victory—Elijah and Moses appear with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. All three were together as the 40-day fasters. They presided over the great transitions of history.

When the Israelites were poised to move into the Promise Land, spies were sent out for 40 days. When they returned carrying an evil report, a whole generation was infected with unbelief and they turned their back on the Promise Land. God’s sentence on that generation was “And your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness for forty years and bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know my rejection.” (Numbers 14:33–34) It was 40 years of judgment for 40 days failure.

Conversely, the great prophet Ezekiel received a 40-day prayer assignment for a 40-year failure of Judah’s iniquity. “Lie again on your right side, then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, forty days I have laid on you a day for each year.” (Ezekiel 4:6) It was clearly 40 days prayer for 40 years of failure.

When Jesus fasted 40 days and was tempted of the devil He quoted from the book of Deuteronomy saying “It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” And again, “You shall not tempt the Lord thy God” and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you worship.” Jesus, in His victory over Satan, was quoting the book of Deuteronomy, the portion of scripture delivered by Moses to the generation who failed in the desert. Jesus, in His 40-day fast, was clearly identifying with that passage of scripture and the generation that came out of Egypt. As an intercessor in His 40-day fast, Jesus was fulfilling what a generation had failed in for 40 years.

Forty years are up! Could the Church of America in a 40-day fast deliver a nation out of a 40-year curse? We have scriptural precedent to believe for such a turning! Therefore, we are trumpeting a call to 40 days of fasting like Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel and Jesus. We must bear the iniquity in 40 days of fasting and intercession for the past 40 years of divorcing God in America, embracing a culture of sexual immorality, hedonism, materialism, abortion and the rejection of Christ in public places. But we are also calling for 40 days of fasting and prayer for the greatest outbreak of Kingdom power, in signs and wonders, and the spiritual awakening in America that will collide with this present darkness and topple its cultural dominion over our people. Thousands went on 40-day fasts in 1946 and in 1947, the great healing revivals broke out. In 1948, the Latter Rain outpourings began, Bill Bright and Billy Graham’s ministries were born, and Israel became a nation. Could it be that the 40-day fast preceded this explosion of power by the Spirit? After Jesus’ 40-day fast, the scripture says He returned in the power of the Spirit. Yes the promise of Joel 2 is that after the fast, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…”

Forty years ago, in 1967, the Jesus Movement broke out. A youth revival started on the streets swept across the country, exploding on college campuses and coffee houses. People were being saved everywhere. Now 40 years later, we are crying out for God to do it again, way beyond the Jesus Movement!

In 1967, in a war and obviously by the supernatural hand of God, Jerusalem was taken and once again brought under the control of the state of Israel. This was a monumental signpost in the shifting of eras. The dispensation of the times of the Gentiles was now beginning to shift to the times when Jerusalem will become the last days focus for God’s activity in the Earth. For 40 days, we are joining Israel in a 40-day fast crying out to God that Israel would see their Messiah and they would begin to receive their greatest spiritual awakening since the days of the Apostles.

Brothers and sisters, moments like these come only once in a lifetime. To miss such a moment could mean missing the purpose of God for a generation. The generation that refused to cross over the Jordan did not know that they had only one day to make the decision, and missing that day meant 40 years in the desert.

Even now we are receiving reports that other countries are calling 40-day fasts. Could we be in a Global 40-day season of fasting (like Jesus), to see a global outbreak of light when great darkness is covering the Earth? Beginning the evening of May 28, we are calling two generations to 40 days of fasting and prayer culminating on 7–7–07, the perfection of time. In a massive, national gathering of fasting, intercession, repentance and worship, we seek to declare our desire to remarry the Lord. We want to cross over into the promise land of national revival. We want to break this 40-year curse. May thousands seek God in water, juice and Daniel fasts from May 28 through 7–7–07, The Call in Nashville.
What would happen in America if for 40 days we sealed the electronic cultural sewer that flows nightly into our living rooms and instead, spent our strength seeking the Lord? What if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers across our nation fasted for 40 days repenting and cleansing themselves of inward toleration of sexual immorality, pornography, addiction to food, entertainment and materialism? What if they prayed daily for their spiritual and physical children to see them converted to Christ and freed from rebellion, from addictions, depression and suicide? What if the young generation fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, media addiction and rebellion toward there parents, believing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit would come upon there lives?

Moses fasted 40 days and mentored a spiritual son named Joshua, which means the Lord saves. Elijah fasted 40 days and threw his mantle on a double portion son, Elisha, which means the Lord saves. Also, John the Baptist fasted in the desert and prepared the way for a double portion son named Jesus, which means the Lord saves. Jesus fasted 40 days and unleashed the apostolic glory of the eternal Son of God into the Earth. What if we are preparing a generation for the greatest day of salvation in history? And so, what if tens of thousands of both generations fast together and gather on 7–7–07 for The Call Nashville in LP Field, to cry out to God in a Joel 2 moment for great national returning to the Lord?

The parade of history has brought us into a profound generational landmark, and a great vacuum has opened again. If the church does not seize this moment, Muslims will! Antichrist rage will! Sexual perversion will! Anarchy will! But now is the time for key men and women, even an entire generation to risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point which determines which way the door will swing in America and in the nations of the Earth. It's 40 Days or 40 Years—seize the day!

We will be launching this fast with a worldwide simulcast on GOD TV on May 26, 2007. For all information on the 40-day fast and The Call Nashville please visit our websites. www.fastandpray.com

Saint John of the Cross

Saint John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) (June 24, 1542 – December 14, 1591) was a major figure in the Catholic Reformation, a Spanish mystic and Carmelite friar born at Fontiveros, a small village near Ávila.

He is renowned for his cooperation with Saint Teresa of Avila in the reformation of the Carmelite order, and for his writings; both his poetry--my favorite is The Spiritual Canticle--and his studies on the growth of the soul (in the Christian sense of detachment from creatures and attachment to God) are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and one of the peaks of all Spanish literature. In Catholicism, he is one of the thirty-three Doctors of the Church.

I've been listening to Thomas Dubay's radio series on this man, as well as reading John's poetry in sync with my journeys through the Song of Solomon. Though he was known as being one of the most skilled Spanish poets, his greatest contribution to the Church and the world is nothing that could ever be put on paper. He was a burning heart of love for Jesus, and the heat of his flame shows us where God will take a person in love (on this side of eternity!) if they are given wholly over to Him. As John says, "A little of pure love is more precious to God, to the soul, and more beneficial to the Church--than all other works put together."

When we read scriptures like 1 Peter 1:8,

"though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory..."

we often gloss over the words, taking the phrases for granted. However, scripture is never exaggerated, but rather it is only a glimpse of the reality of which it speaks, as a painting is in relationship with the beauty which it captures.

It is the reality Paul spoke of in his own experience in saying, "God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me..." (Galatians 1:15-16). This is similar to what he prayed for the church of Ephesus,

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father... that He would grant you, according to the [unfathomable] riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith... and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:14-19).

What on earth was Paul's vision for the Ephesian church? Why didn't he pray that they would prosper financially or grow in numbers or have "more impact" on society? He was a man set on fire with love for God! He understood that nothing else would give more glory or delight God's heart more than if they loved Him likewise.

He speaks of his own life saying,

"But whatever things were gain to me (speaking in reference to his former life of scholarship and success in Judaism), those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things (both legitimate and sinful) to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8).

In ministry and in hiddenness, Paul was ruined with the vision of fulfilling the First Commandment ("you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" Mark 12:30), as the other Apostles also attested to in their own souls. Why would we then go after anything less?

This is our call and our promise if we are willing to come to Jesus to get it. We have to get a higher vision for love in this life if we are to fulfill the will of God. Oh I want to burn with love for God! Why not me?

I would suggest if you want to listen to any of Thomas Dubay's radio sessions on John, that you listen to The Great Exchange.

Just Passing By

This weekend I went to Reno to visit my dad for his birthday. His birthday was actually on May 5th, but I had to be in KC until Wednesday, so I flew out on Thursday and surprised the whole gang. No one knew I was coming but my best friend Kellie, so it was really fun.

My dad is a cookie making machine. He's literally starting his own business because so many people have asked him to make his famous oatmeal scotchies. He's building a website here: www.RenoCookieMan.com, so if you have a hanckering for some amazing cookies, drop him a line. Yes, I am unashamedly advertising for him.

While I've been in KC, my family has become active out of nowhere. They take bike rides together across the city, and my dad rides an average of 20 miles a day. It's kind of weird because we have never been very active as a rule. Lot's of things have changed but for the most part, life just goes on as usual.

Wrath of God vs. Love of God (5 of 5 case studies) Jacob Loved, Esau Hated

The Lord, the God of all kindness, personally hated Isaac’s son Esau, though He loved his brother Jacob. Why? What was so vile about this descendant of Abraham as to earn the Lord’s abhorrence? Did the Lord hate Esau in a sovereign random selection, or was there rationale behind His emotion? Over all, Esau did not have very wicked actions, and he actually seemed to honor the Lord later in his life. It seems strange that the Lord would detest a man simply on the basis of a momentary choice that was made under extenuating circumstances. How could the God, who is love, and who sent His only Son to die because of the love He holds for the most contemptible of sinners, hate a man for such a menial crime?

This is the word that the Lord spoke to Rebekah while she was pregnant with her twin sons, saying, “Two nations are in your womb… And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23). God sovereignly chose Jacob to be a leader over Esau, though He saw that Esau would be naturally stronger than Jacob. This was a very intentional choice on God’s part, for His desire has always been to manifest His strength by dwelling in a weak people. The Lord, in His wisdom and kindness, gave the plan of redemption for both of these men, knowing the best way to navigate the dynamics of their hearts into His affections. The favor given to Jacob above Esau was not concerning salvation or love but secular authority.

However, Esau did not have confidence in the Lord’s seemingly foolish decision, and believed his own strength to be adequate to attain all he needed. He did not understand that the Lord was not mostly concerned with who obtained the position of leadership, but rather was jealous for their adoration. Although Rebekah most likely never told him the word she received, Esau understood that it was the Lord’s choice to give Jacob the inheritance. Because of this, he viewed the Lord as a deceiver who secretly had ill intent toward him. In contrast, Jacob believed in the Lord’s kind intention, even to the point of striving with Him in order to receive the promise he did not deserve. Esau’s view of God is exposed in his statement, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.”

The Lord’s statement over Jacob was quite different than Esau’s take of him, and this is because Jacob’s understanding of the Lord drastically differed from Esau’s view of Him. Esau felt that Jacob was one who stole what was rightfully his (Gen. 27:36), but the Lord knew that he was one who eagerly sought out what the Lord had appointed for him (Gen. 32:27-28; Rom. 9:11-12). Jacob had become a friend of God (Is. 41:8) because he believed Him to work out His promise, even in his weakness and fear. He was not anxious to retain and guard the land that had been given to him in the blessing of Isaac, even when it seemed likely that Esau would take it by force in Jacob’s long absence. When he did return to Canaan, he took the lower posture instead of trying to assert himself before Esau and reign over him with a heavy hand.

We see the kind of relationship Esau tried to establish with the Lord through his relationship with his father. Isaac favored Esau because of his ability to provide for himself through the hunt, and Esau thought the Lord was like his father Isaac, valuing the outward achievements above the inward attitude of the heart. He was consumed by the longing to establish himself as Nimrod had in earlier times, a mighty hunter before the Lord. When this failed to attract the Lord’s delight, Esau determined that He was a weak and foolish God, and continued to pursue increase through his own means.

He did not believe in the Lord’s ability to perfect him or give him a good portion, and tried to affect his own righteousness and might. He did not have a vision of eternity, and did not believe that the Lord was a rewarder of those who seek Him. However, he also wanted to appear righteous before men and sought their favor ardently. Therefore, when the Lord handed “his inheritance” to Jacob through the blessing of Isaac, he could not bear the loss, although he had freely discarded it when the temporal value was tested. He had no vision for eternity, so when his temporal blessing was actually removed, he could see no hope. Later in life, Esau was completely satisfied once he had achieved his own success. The outward rage he had toward Jacob (and God) subsided because he had acquired the worldly profit he felt was wrongfully snatched away from him.

The Lord hated Esau because he wanted God to hate him. He set himself as an adversary against the Lord and His ways, while Jacob clung to God even when He told him to let go. Although the Lord gave Esau a way of redemption through voluntary servitude to Jacob, He eventually apportioned to him the inheritance he had eagerly sought apart from God, and the Lord would not take it away from him (Duet. 2). Esau could never come to the place of trust in the Lord’s leadership or believe His good will. He held on to his bitterness toward the Lord, never submitting to Jacob because he did not believe His choice would result favorably. The Lord gave him the dignity of free choice, and thus, Esau chose to remain obstinate and receive a passing reward.

Wrath of God vs. Love of God (4 of 5 case studies) King David's Son

Why was the Lord’s chastisement of David so seemingly harsh? Why did He choose to strike him in a way that would be more painful than if he himself had died? Why did the Lord pour out judgment on an innocent baby, who had neither done wrong nor right, yet was simply a victim of circumstance? Was this “an eye for an eye,” or was there an ulterior motive working in the heart of God? In the Lord’s mercy, He struck David’s firstborn of Bathsheba with sickness to kill him. The Lord makes this clear enough to David through His actions for him to repent and turn in unapologetic repentance once the issue is addressed.

The Lord begins His rebuke of David with this statement, saying, “It is I who anointed you king over Israel…” David was mandated to lead the people of Israel into righteousness and love in a corporate agreement with the heart of God. According to the word spoken through Nathan, David had committed a multidimensional sin: (1) he did not trust the Lord’s leadership, and stretched out his hand to satisfy his appetites instead of leaning into the Lord, (2) he lashed out in rebellion against the word of the Lord and the very identity of God, (3) he released a spirit of murder upon his house, the line chosen to carry the seed of promise, (4) and he gave opportunity to those who had accusations toward the Lord to lay blame on His ways. Because he was the king chosen by the Lord to rule over His people, all of these sins would have long-lasting repercussions that affected the entire nation. David was the appointed shepherd over these people, and he was beginning to lead them into a wrong avenue. The issue of David’s sin did not only affect his own personal life with the Lord, but it affected the entire nation he had been given authority by the Lord to govern.

The sin of David was terribly grievous, but why would the Lord pour out His vengeance upon an innocent baby? As God would not allow David to establish his kingdom upon bloodshed, the way He would insure this was by shaking him to the core with a full-on encounter the brutality of the death of the innocent. The Lord wanted David to understand how He feels about bloodshed in order that the root of violence in him would be cut off. The Lord had to show him what kind of an impact his sin had on those under him. David understood the Lord’s heart to show mercy, and this is why he fasted so ardently to turn the tide, and worshiped the Lord after the baby died. This judgment was a pre-emptive strike against the spirit of murder running rampant through the land because of the leadership of David. It was the least severe means God could have used in order to produce the kind of response He was requiring from David. How could this be?

David was directly scorning the Lord in his heart posture, not simply in the moment of passion. He was a man who was in the presence of the Lord continually, yet he was yielding to a wrong spirit, and because of the revelation placed on him, his heart was becoming more and more calloused. The sin was not addressed for at least nine months, and when it was addressed, Nathan was calling David to finish camping out in that spirit. He had not only given himself to licentiousness and lust, but in that, he was coming to a stance before the Lord that worshiped Him outwardly while inwardly agreeing with hatred of His ways.

David was essentially moving toward the attitude that might say, “Your Word is too heavy of a burden to walk out fully, and in my youthful zeal, I was able to walk in your ways, but it is simply impossible now. All the responsibility and expectation placed on me in this life would overwhelm me if I were also expected to operate in that kind blamelessness at the same time. Your grace is not sufficient for me in my weakness to walk out what You desire of me. Therefore, either You do not require full obedience of me, or Your leadership is not perfect.” David was acting presumptuously toward the Lord’s mercy, leaning on grace in an unrighteous manner. He was using it as an excuse for his sin instead of an empowering force to walk in His Law. If the Lord had not stepped in, David would have ended up with leading the nation into such gross inward searing of their conscience, and no one can even imagine the effects of such a notable demarcation in the people’s history.

Wrath of God vs. Love of God (3 of 5 case studies) The Siege of Jerusalem

The siege of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. was one of the most tragic events in the history of Israel. The Babylonians came in like a flood upon the Israelites, tearing down their strongholds and breaking through their fortifications with ferocity unheard of to that point. They ransacked all the towns and cities, consuming their resources until nothing was left for them to live. Eventually, it became such a desperate situation that they actually ate their own children and were unwilling even to share the flesh of their children with their closest companions and family members. They were then taken away to Babylon, and the Lord ripped their inheritance of the land out of their hands, giving it to another. It was told to them by Moses, concerning the Lord’s heart in this matter, “as the Lord delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the Lord will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you…”

How could this be? If the Lord hates violence and delights in mercy, how is this reconcilable to His actions toward His chosen people? Moses’ revelation of the Lord’s heart is not a conflicting one, but rather, it gives insight into why He allowed and instigated such horrifying events. The intention that moved God to bring about Israel’s destruction was from the very same fountainhead of love that caused Him to bless and prosper them. He gave them sure forewarning of what would come about if they did not walk in His ways, leaning on Him for strength and grace, yet they refused to take heed. They took the words of Moses lightly, turning to the Lord outwardly, while festering in unbelief and hatred on the inside.

This judgment upon Israel was not one that He quickly resorted to in a fit of rage. On the contrary, the Lord did all He could to turn the hearts of the people toward Him without such means. In the revival of Josiah, He gave them back the Law, which Josiah began to spread throughout the land immediately. God tested the response of their hearts to His Word, seeing that they refused to return to Him in truth, while externally professing to love and honor Him. Their devotion was not to Him but to themselves, and they saw the Lord and His Law as a way to manipulate for personal gain.

It was at this point that the Lord began to send messengers to call Israel out of their apostasy. Although they had inwardly chosen their own way, He began to bombard them with the call to return to Him straightaway. He openly shared His emotions toward them at this time, saying, “…I have given the beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies. My inheritance has become to Me like a lion in the forest; She has roared against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her.” (Jer. 12:7-8). The people chosen to be the inheritance of God had risen against them in their hearts, believing that their own strength and ways were wiser than His.

They had become comparable to the times of the Judges in their rebellion, yet they strove to appear as though they were devoted to His leadership. Thus, their consciences were seared far worse than the people of that time, and it would take a far greater measure of judgment to turn their hearts back to Him. After the time of grace given for them to turn, especially in the preaching of Jeremiah, the Lord could see that the only way to restore their affections to Him was by utterly shattering their strength. They had become so infatuated with their own ability, tradition, and pride, they forgot the One who bestowed it all on them and crowned them as the chosen to begin with.

God’s heart still went out to His people in mercy after He had initiated the judgment that would turn their hearts back to Him. He gave adequate time for the people to prepare their hearts in the wake of the coming storm, and sent numerous prophets to call them to turn before the coming desolation. Those who were truly repentant still had to go through the trouble, but their hearts would stand without offense through the hardest of trials: seventy years of exile. This was not mainly a trial of their physical circumstances, but rather a testing of their hearts to see whether they would lean in to the hope of the Covenant and trust God, though their own strength was shattered.

The Lord’s strategy is always to draw His people with cords that will ultimately show His lovingkindness to the greatest measure possible. This was the Lord’s purpose behind the siege of Jerusalem, as it exposed the level of depravity that lied just under the surface in His people. By breaking their strength, He caused them to lean in to His, trusting His grace rather than their ability. In this way, those who would eventually return to Jerusalem would ideally be madly in love with their God out of gratitude for His mercy and restoration.

Wrath of God vs. Love of God (2 of 5 case studies) Uzzah & the Ark

The Ark of the Covenant was the vessel chosen by the Lord to cradle His manifest presence among His people before the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit was given to them. It was not simply a structure meant to have prophetic implications, but the Lord actually rested on it in the fullest measure possible in this age. In this way, it was a very dangerous vessel, surrounded by mystique because of the strange (at times horrific) activity that seemed to follow it. This activity caused entire cities to have sickness, various maladies, and even wide-spread death. The cause behind this was not a temperamental God who lost His cool when crossed, but rather, it was the picture of trying to plug a 120V conductor into a 1,000,000,000V socket. God, in His extreme holiness, was not restraining Himself in that context, and those who presumptuously came too close were simply swept away because their frames were not made to handle that kind of power.

Correspondingly, the Lord instituted an order of operation called the Law because He ardently desired His creation to be with Him in confidence, even in their frailty. The Law was the Lord’s gift to the Israelites to give them a context of how to safely approach Him. He also did this in the case of the Ark, giving His people a way to have access to the “full” measure of God’s manifest presence. It was extremely important for them to understand the weight of this privilege in order that they would not cross the boundaries set up for their safety and encounter the all consuming Fire without any protection.

Thus, we come to David’s procession from the house of Abinadab up to Jerusalem. David, in a free-spirited joy and excitement, set the Ark on a new cart in order to transport it quickly and allow the whole congregation to worship with dancing, singing, and a general hoopla. However, there were very specific instructions from the Lord on how to go about the transport of the Ark in a safe manner, as He says, “…after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects and die.” (Num. 4:15). Moses also expressly writes, “…four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service… But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.” (Num. 7:9). David led his people into treacherous waters, and would soon see the reasons why the Lord had given such straightforward orders.

When the cart came to a rougher terrain, turbulence of the drive soon caused the Ark to jerk and begin tipping over. In frantic reaction, Uzzah did what any God-honoring Levite might do: he reached out to catch the most holy of their sacred objects in order that it would not take a fatal spill. Immediately, the fire of God consumed him. The congregation’s jubilation quickly ceased, and David became angry and afraid toward the Lord (how much more the general population), leaving the Ark in another place.

Why such an outburst from the Lord? In hindsight, it is clear that this was not a random flare of anger, but an incidence that was openly forewarned. The Lord was actually exercising great mercy in their midst, since He only struck down one man and not the entire company. David got the message, though it took three months for him to reconcile the occasion with what he knew about the Lord, His kindness and unwavering mercy. Upon looking back at the Lord’s actions, he realized that it was not His offense that caused Uzzah’s death, but rather his own. When he came to finish the procession to Jerusalem, he made doubly sure that all precautions were taken and the divine order was followed.

Therefore, the death of Uzzah was caused by David’s, the people’s, and his own irreverence. Because they did not take the Lord’s warning seriously, the natural consequences of their actions happened just as He said they would. In a sense, Uzzah was a victim of circumstance, but if any of them had spoken out and called them to correct the boundary, he would not have been in the situation that caused him to die. Though it was His heart’s desire dwell unhindered amidst His people, He also understood their inability to handle such unrestrained power. Yet, by following a strict outline of boundaries, the Lord somehow created the context to be with such broken people. In mercy, the Lord called His people to tremble at His word, letting them know that He never exaggerates or overemphasizes, but speaks with clarity to be heard and obeyed. In Uzzah’s case, the message came loud and clear.

Wrath of God vs. Love of God (1 of 5 case studies) The Fristborn of Egypt

The judgments which the Lord poured out upon Egypt are one of the most misunderstood statements of God’s heart in redemptive history. God gives us a clear picture of the depths of His mercy, power, and holiness all in one motion, yet many simply believe the Lord to be “sovereignly” causing all these events out of an affinity to see His enemies squirm. Nothing could be farther from the truth, seeing the Lord does not take delight in the death of the wicked. The climax of these judgments is one that is particularly easy to misconstrue, as it involves the death of innocent children and infants by the hand of the Lord.

In order to understand the Lord’s heart in this matter, we must first know the motive He has in releasing judgment upon peoples and nations. In the case of a stiff-necked people, the Lord brings about calamity and turmoil in order to shake them into humility and dependence upon Him. The Lord is hardly concerned with their comfort and circumstantial well-being in this age compared with His zeal for them to be in His bosom in the next. He uses the gentlest means possible to bring about a true repentance and solid pursuit of His will. God will do whatever necessary to cause individuals as well as corporate bodies to come under the benevolence of His leadership. His hope is that the people will turn to Him before He actually has to bring about trouble on them, and this is why He always proclaims the warning beforehand.

When the Lord brought the plagues on Egypt, His motive was to drive them to a place of submission to His leadership through the release of the Hebrews. He was acting from the wellspring of kind intention He held toward them, not in cold and harsh anger. Though He gave full warning before each plague was loosed, the people refused to turn. The personification of their obstinacy was seen in Pharaoh, who had been given to them as a leader after their own heart. Their conscience became more and more seared at every, “No,” with which they responded to Moses because the Lord was moving in their midst in such a dynamic way.

The plagues also became increasingly worse as the people were hardened because it would take a greater means to turn them to Him. When finally they reached the last plague, the people were in such rebellion that they would rather see their firstborn sons killed than humble themselves before God. It was not an issue of unbelief, for they had seen the precision of the Lord to bring about what He spoke through Moses, and what kind of mercy He gave the Egyptians when it was requested. They fully believed that God would kill their sons that night, and they also knew that they could inquire of Him to restrain His hand. Even still, they chose to keep silent in their pride, desiring to be hardened in stubbornness and self-will. God gave them what they sought from Him: not mercy, but destruction in their own strength. When the Lord brought it about, they were pierced to the core because they understood that it had been their free choice, and the reality of what they had done was too great for them to stomach. They recognized the measure of their hatred for the Lord by saying, “We will all be dead,” (Ex.12:33) in understanding that if they did not submit at that point, they would eventually desire for the Lord to kill them as well rather than give the Hebrews up.

In the midst of this, we might ask how the Lord could bear to kill the innocent because of the sin of the wicked. What was He feeling as He went through the streets of Egypt? Did He have any emotion when the little boys breathed their last by His hand? I believe He wept over the hardness of Egypt and their resistance toward His good pleasure over them. His emotions are reflected by Moses’ response to Pharaoh after telling him of the judgment to come, when it says, “And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger” (Ex. 11:8). If He is pained over the death of the wicked, He surely did not take delight in the death of the innocent babes.

Yet, God put a redemptive factor even in this judgment, and this action was actually one of the most merciful things the Lord could have done to the Egyptians. His vision is so much greater and far-reaching than simply the momentary life of these little ones. Every younger brother and sister of the firstborn could look to this event and marvel at the Lord’s power, seeing the result of their parents’ stubbornness toward the Lord. The Lord touched such an intimate place of encounter when He cut off the firstborn that it would be remembered for generations to come.

From the beginning, it was not the Lord’s will to afflict Egypt, but their own will. The death of the firstborn was the furthest thing from the mind of the Lord when He dreamed of how He could cause the Egyptians to hope and trust in Him. He put every other way of escape before them rather than the death of the innocent, yet they would not receive His mercy. In the end, He gave them what they cried out for, though it pained Him to do so. He made an unmistakable statement of what He is willing to do in mercy and in zeal for His people that when the generations passed, they might not make the same choice as their fathers, but trust His leadership from the beginning.

Rend Your Heart, Not Your Garments (Joel 2)

I love Stuart Greaves; he is so real, and he really walks in the power and truth of the Spirit. He's the leader of the Nightwatch-intrinsically intense-and he spear-heads the Apostolic Preaching Program. There is no one like him who is as vulnerable yet godly as a teacher and leader. Anyway, enough bragging on him... Right now, we're in a season of repentance at IHOP, and here are the notes of Stuarts message to us preceding a solemn assembly:

Isaiah 33:6
The Lord can be with you and you not know it (Jesus in the manger, on the road to Emmaus, Jacob at Bethel, etc.). The awesomeness of the Lord is in our midst right now, and we must recognize it. He is speaking to us in the still small voice, and we must have ears to listen. The Lord is rising up the Nightwatch first in this because it is a signpost to His coming (Matthew 25:6). The natural transitions that are taking place are cues into the spiritual transitions that are taking place.
The Lord wants to move our hearts from being wowed by the stories to being wooed by them. The difference between these two is response. It is very easy to be overwhelmed by the stories and the idea of response that we have, but this only hinders response. It can only be done moment by moment, yes by yes, conversation by conversation, strength to strength, and God breathes on our hearts to push us through to overcome. Within the moment of temptation, you stop, say no, say ‘yes’ to Jesus, and move on (call friends to pray for you as well).
The battle field is our thought life and how we allow our emotions to be stirred. Do I allow things to be stirred in me unto fueling the flesh or do I allow things to stir me unto worship and prayer? We know what to and not to do, but it is the laying of the ax to the root.
“Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap your character; sow your character, reap your destiny.” Gird up the loins of your mind; it sounds exhausting, but it is the only way we have hope. Count up the number of times a lustful thought comes across your mind, then count up the times you have actively sowed seeds of pure thoughts or warred against the thoughts, and evaluate the difficulty based on that, not on your initial experience. We must start the process of forgiveness right at the moment of offense—don’t wait until the root of bitterness is manifest.
“You have done righteousness and loved wickedness.” We must rend our hearts and cherish righteousness in every part. Obedience in fear of consequences is the starting place, but we must get to a place of obedience out of a violent response of love.
The fear of the Lord manifested through anxiety is healthy. If you’re feeling nervous like, “I need to get with it,” that is the fear of the Lord. It drives us to make wise decisions, and that is why it is the beginning of wisdom. Once we respond in righteousness, the peace in that fear is given to us, and that is what is meant by the cleanliness of the fear of the Lord.
Character is about the image of Christ being formed in our mind, will emotions, and whole being (Psalm 51:6). Colossians 3:1-2. The things of the earth he is referring to are listed in 3:5-10, and he lists the things which are above in 3:12-17. Our prayer life in that one prayer meeting begins a month before hand. If we are preoccupied by all of our junk up to that point, we cannot be present with the Lord. “Others may but you may not.” “They are stewarding the drizzle of the Holy Spirit, and I will give to them the deluge.” We don’t want to be professional IHOPpers. What happened to Psalm 22? The way that our hearts stay pliable is by warring the inward fight for our thoughts.
Colossians 3:3. When we have these realities, godliness makes sense. This is the call to fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit. There is a big difference between complaint and hunger. Hunger is aware of the bounty of God in the present, but longs for more. Complaint is only aware of the lack.
Assignment: spend the next month going to the people near & dear to you, and thank them. Be thankful. Thank them, and watch and see if life does not spring up in your heart.

Apostolic Leadership

Servanthood is a cool idea and provoking sermon in the body of Christ, but the Lord has been inviting me to the reality of it lately. However, I really have no idea how to respond because He's calling me to things I've not experienced before. My dialog with Him around this topic has brought me to this question:

What is the meaning of apostolic leadership?

This may seem like a strange question to be stirred by the topic of serving, but when you just take a moment to think, it should make sense to you (Rom. 1:1). Over the next week or two, I'm going to be posting my thoughts and questions around this topic, but I just wanted to get your juices flowing and comments around the theme in this verse:

"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God... For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor... Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me."

-1 Corinthians 4:1,9-10, 16