Heavens and Earth as Witnesses and Persons-in-Interest of the Covenant

When Moses renewed the covenant with Israel in Deuteronomy 29, he summoned the people together to recall all the miracles the Lord had performed for them when they left Egypt.  He cautions them to understand that they are about to enter into a covenant with their God.  God is going to re-establish His covenant with an oath, to confirm them as His people.  He is re-committing to be their God as He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He begins to delineate a relationship of blessings and curses, not only for the people of Israel, but also for the land. 

God issues a warning that if the people take for granted His covenant and walk away from the provision of blessing, the natural consequence will be that the land will suffer and become desolate.  This is designed to be a sign to the nations that God’s anger was burning against His people, as he uprooted them from the land and caused it to wither. 

God then goes on to explain what will happen when the people return to their God, take to heart His words, entering into a response of loving obedience.  He promises prosperity in every area of life, including the prosperity of the crops of the land, encouraging them that His admonitions are not too hard for them.  In fact, He has put them very near; in their hearts and in their mouths.

Then, God calls heaven and earth to witness.  Since He is making a legal contract with the people and nation of Israel, He calls creation to witness the transaction.  They are not mere witnesses to testify of the conditions of the contract, they are parties-in-interest.  Heaven and earth, and all of creation, will stand to benefit when the Israelites fulfill their covenantal obligations. 

To assure that future generations will be instructed and remember the transaction, Moses commanded the Levites to read the conditions every seven years, at the time of the cancellation of debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles.  Then, each generation would know and understand the blessings and curses associated with the contract.  Moses considered the document so important and holy, that he instructed the Levites, who also functioned as the lawyers, to place the document in the Ark of the Covenant.  He went on to sing to the heavens and the earth, entreating them to hear the words of his song as he praises and worships his God. 

Moses communicated God’s heart through the spoken word, connecting with the mind; the written word, clarifying it for the will; and through song, engaging the emotions to affect a heart response of love and obedience.  He sings to the heavens and the earth and asks that his words will fall like rain and his words like the dew that waters the earth.  He is refreshing creation with his song, encouraging and reminding the witnesses of the promises of God.

There are other passages in scripture, such as Isaiah 1:2 which call upon the witnesses of heaven and earth to testify of God’s truth when a case is being made against Israel for being unfaithful.  Also, in Psalm 50, God calls upon heaven and earth as third party witnesses to testify that His word is in agreement with the covenant.  God has made a covenant with, not only the people, but He has the whole of creation as the context of that covenant. 

When the Jewish people were disbursed throughout the nations, God’s word was demonstrated to be true as the land laid desolate and withered for years, as He had declared.  As the people have returned to the land, it has responded with fruitfulness.  However, the full redemption and restoration of the land will come as the people receive revelation of the loving contract between God and man and begin to actively walk out that relationship with hearts of appreciation and devotion.

As at says in Romans 8, creation is groaning and waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God to be revealed.  Creation longs to be liberated from its bondage to decay, and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  The fullness intended for creation, is totally dependent upon the actions of God’s people.  Heaven and earth are the parties-in-interest waiting to benefit from the liberty of ones who know their old nature is dead, and are living to align with the reality of the life of the resurrection. 

The words of the covenant are still valid for believers today.  The word is very near us.  It is in our hearts and in our mouths.  As intercessors, we can remind God of His words and we can remind creation that God’s intention is still to bestow the benefit of liberty upon the heavens and the earth.  We are agents of reconciliation, not only for the people of the land, but also for the witnesses—the heavens around the earth, the angelic realm, the very tangible earth realm and the unseen realm.   

When we hear that admonition that “we can make a difference,” we can declare, “OH, what a difference we can make!”  If we, as modeled by Moses, will allow our whole soul to be engaged in the process of worship, the overflow will be an active relationship with God who promised to go beyond our own small interests and even transform and liberate creation. 

As believers in the land of Israel increase in number and revelation, the land will take on the same liberty and freedom from bondage.  When we remember that this is not just an abstract concept, but written as a legal document, it makes the possibilities all the more tangible.

Psalm 84 and My Latest Visit to Israel

This trip to Israel was different than the previous three times I have visited.  There were no deep experiences, no profound revelations and no visitations.  The pace was slower and we spent more time in Jerusalem.  However, an understanding began to form inside me.

I found myself becoming familiar with where things were in relation to each other.  I knew how to get to the Cardo from the Jaffa Gate, and walked there by myself.  I only became disconcerted for a moment when trying to confirm my plan with a leader who had been to Israel at least ten times.  She didn’t know how to get to the Cardo from where we were.  She assured me that I was headed in the general direction, however, so I decided to go with my gut and ventured off.

I also knew where a bathroom was located when someone needed one, and where to find an ATM machine.  When traveling on the bus, my friend asked if we were passing a place we had visited last year.  I assured her it was the same place, and that next door was the place we were planning to visit that evening. 

To those of you who enjoy reading maps or are naturally good at directions, this may not seem particularly significant.  I have never included myself in either one of those categories, often calling myself “geographically challenged.”  I am happy to put myself in the care of those who know where they are going.  So, it was a delightful experience to find that I knew my way around somewhat.  I was beginning to feel like I was on home turf.

In the weeks before the trip, I kept hearing the phrase of scripture from Ps. 122, “My feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem”.  Since I have returned home, I could change that to, “My heart is longing for your gates, O Jerusalem”.  There is not an hour that goes by that my thoughts have not turned to that place.  This time, I think I left my heart in God’s neighborhood.  I think I left my heart in God’s backyard.

David had the same sentiment in Psalm 84.  He said:

            How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!

            My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord;

            My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

            Even the sparrow has found a nest for her young—a place near your altar,

            O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

            Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

            They are ever praising you.

It is amazing that you can have two homes.  I have a natural home here in Massachusetts, but I have a spiritual connection that is becoming more and more tangible in Jerusalem.  It really feels like home.  I think that is because when I go there, I am taking Him home, too.  He comes home in me and I get to experience the feelings that He has for that place.  

Jesus wept over Jerusalem.  David's soul longed for the courts of the Lord.  It feels like my heart stayed behind while I came home.

The Tribe of Napthali; the Journey, and My Identification

In a conference, many years ago, I had the privilege of being in a service with a word being released about the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  At the end of the presentation of the word, there was a procession displaying the banners of the tribes. 

I had just found out that there is a possibility I have Jewish blood through my grandmother.  Her maiden name was Leeman, which had been changed from Lehman when the family came to the United States.

As I was sitting there in my chair, I began to ask the Lord, “If I do have Jewish blood, what tribe would I be from?”  I believed the Lord could show me as I enjoyed the procession, viewing the banners as they promenaded around the room accompanied by worship music.   Banner after spectacular banner passed me by.  I have to say I have never before, or since, seen banners as beautiful and elaborate as these.  They were exquisite.  It had taken many hours and tremendous love and vision to create this artwork of fabric.  Each banner had the symbol of the tribe displayed on the front.  For example, the Tribe of Judah had a large and magnificent lion.

I sat there fascinated and awed by the beauty and the intricacy of the designs.  As each banner passed me, I had no sense that it had anything to do with me.  I began to think that the little prayer was just a whim of my heart and started to dismiss the possibility that these banners or the tribes of Israel would have any connection to me.

I settled into the atmosphere and watched.  As one of the banners came close to where I was sitting, I saw that a deer was the symbol of the one approaching.  I strained to read the name, since I was unfamiliar with the tribes at that point in my life.  As I was waiting for it to come closer, I felt like my heart was pierced.  There was a physical sensation similar to a punch to the chest, coupled with a skipped heartbeat.  This was nearly the last banner, and I had already given up the thought that God would speak to me, so the feeling was all the more shocking. 

The banner passed my seat and I saw the tribe was Napthali.  I knew nothing about the symbolism of the name. I found myself a little disappointed that, not only was the animal a deer, which seemed a bit innocuous to me, but I didn’t understand my heart’s strong reaction to it.  I wrote down the name so I would not forget, and decided to do some research when I got home.

As I began to look up the scripture references of all the tribes in the Bible, I saw that Napthali was the one which had the least information.  The primary meaning is “wrestling.”  This did not help my feeling of being slighted a bit.  Who wants to be identified with struggle?  I guess I wanted the validation of being associated with a more prominent or stronger symbolism.  There are also words about being a “hind set free” and having beautiful words.  I moved on from the surface study into other, more interesting pursuits.

Let me fast forward to January 2010.  While I was in Washington, D.C. on a prayer tour, I met a woman of prominence with connections in Israel and also the Israeli Embassy in D.C.  While we engaged in conversation about an event that had taken place in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, she described some banners that had been made for it, explaining the time, the expense and the labor of love to design them.  One of the members of our group made the connection to the banners at the event I had attended.  Indeed, they had been loaned by her friends. 

Sometimes we don’t know the lengths God will go to give us a message.  I felt privileged to hear “the rest of the story” also learning that the banners had been in storage and had recently found a permanent home in a church.  I tucked the incident away again in the archives of my mind, not thinking further about doing any more research, but merely enjoying the story.

This week, as I was preparing more for my classes on Israel, I was studying the book of Revelation.  As I was seeing that the foundations of the Temple were made of precious stones and understanding the stones were laid out in the exact order of the stones on the breastplate of the High Priest, I looked up some of the meanings of the stones.  Imagine my surprise to find that the stone representing the Tribe of Napthali is my birthstone! 

I think God now has my attention!  Maybe I am a slow study, but I know that I am right on time for revelation.  I have looked up the scriptures for the Tribe of Napthali and I am beginning to look more deeply into them.  There so much more than I originally thought.  I am very humbled to see some of the meaning beyond the obvious.  I am surprised to find strong warriors in the line and those who were loyal and called blessed, who received an inheritance of the richest land.  I am finding a whole new meaning for ones of “beautiful words.”  It makes me wonder at myself for the arrogance based in ignorance.

God is so amazing.  He just keeps unfolding things as we move along with Him.  He just keeps pouring out grace after grace.  He just keeps waiting until we are ready to receive.  If I just studied this one thing to really hear all that God is saying, it just might take me the rest of my life to even begin to walk in the inheritance of the Tribe of Napthali, whether or not I actually have any Jewish blood.

Shouts of Joy and Victory

Shouts of Joy and Victory

Ps. 118:15 says, “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous.  The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things.  The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things.  I will dot die, but live, and proclaim what the Lord has done.

As I looked up many of the scriptures that had the word “shout” in them, I began to find that shout was not merely a loud sound made with the mouth.  I began to see that shouting, more often than not, has to do with a sound of victory, coupled with joy.  Some of the meanings were: to split the ears with sound; i.e. shout with alarm or joy, destroy, make a joyful sound.  It could also mean acclamation of joy, battle cry, especially the clangor of trumpets, joy, jubilee, loud noise; rejoicing.  In almost every instance, I found that you cannot have a shout of victory, without a shout of joy.

In Ezra 3:11, the people shouted with joy, as the foundation of the temple was laid.  Psalm 47:5 indicates that God has ascended amid shouts of joy (amid shouts of jubilee).  As we keep the sound of victory in our own tent, it causes God to arise.  As we shout in joy, God reigns over us and is allowed to be seated on His holy throne.  I think of the little chorus we used to sing, “Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart, when the King is in residence there.”  Joy is the evidence of the reality of the eternal life working in me.  The Bible says that the kingdom of God is known, or marked by, righteousness, peace and joy.

As I allow the joy of the Lord to have sway in my life, I give witness to a higher kingdom at work.  Joy is something that is imparted to me as I contemplate God.  He reveals who He is, and I am awed that Almighty God desires relationship with me; not just relationship alone, but covenantal relationship.  He has pledged Himself to me.  He is a faithful God and keeps covenant to a thousand generations.  I rest in that reality and receive peace.  I choose to walk in righteousness before Him; to stand rightly before Him, equally embracing holiness and rejecting evil.

Joy is a Third Day or a Third Dimension necessity.  Joy is the keeping power of the Father.  It is the distinguishing mark of God’s people.  It is the portion of the remnant.  It is the sound that will attract God’s attention. 

This came home to me very clearly in the story of Baalam and Balak.  The story is found in Numbers 22-23.  In a nutshell, Balak wanted Baalam to come and curse the Israelites for him so he could gain military victory over them.  Baalam, a man who may have been a true prophet at one time, but had turned to the power of divination to influence events and people, recognized that it would be unprofitable to curse the Israelites unless God was cursing them.  He sacrificed animals and inquired of the Lord three times, but each time he said, “I cannot curse them.”  The final time he said, “I have received a command to bless; He has blessed and I cannot change it.”  In Numbers 23:21-26, it says of the Israelites, “No misfortune is found in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel.  The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them.”  This is the reason Baalam could not curse the Israelites!  The shout of the King was in their midst.  Balaam had to agree with the sound coming from their camp.

There is a dimension of prayer that is assured of results.  When we come into agreement with what God is saying about a situation, there is a power, an energy, a creative force that occurs.  It is a cataclysmic synergy between the heart of God and our declaration that creates something new.  We see this in Ezekiel 37; the “dry bones” scripture.  When Ezekiel understood the word of the Lord for those dry bones, he agreed with God and spoke it forth.  God used Ezekiel’s words to bring to pass His intention. 

There is another dimension beyond that, where the Glory of the Risen Lord, His Victory, and Kingship is being declared in joy and confidence.  It is a place where the Covenantal purpose of God is recognized and released.  That sound gets the attention of God, so to speak.  God looks over at that and says, “What is that sound I hear?  That sounds a lot like Me.  Let Me just step a bit closer and have a look.”  It is the sound of victory calling to the Victor.  It is the sound of confident assurance, calling to the One it is assured of finding.  It is the sound of the Son coming from a people.  God cannot resist that sound.  It causes Him to move closer.  As He does, he brings all that He is.  He brings redemption and deliverance.  He brings healing and strength.  He brings victory and more joy.

When we release this sound, God Himself, comes into agreement with the sound He hears emanating from our camp.  He is coming to meet Himself as he is coming out of us.  This is a dimension beyond passively trusting.  It is a dimension above prayer.  It is the dimension Jesus talked about in John 17.  (That all of them be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.  May they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent Me.  I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one.  I in them, and You in Me.  It is the dimension where Jesus and the Father become co-mingled in the victory and joy of oneness of understanding, oneness of purpose and oneness of expression.  It is a place accessible by choice. 

We can choose joy.  In that choosing, time and time again, to remain in the place of joy, we release a power like no other.  We are invincible because the power of God floods in to transcend earthly situations and release the kingdom purposes of the Father.  I believe the martyrs of yesterday and the martyrs of today know that place.  Those who are being pressed on every side, are coming to know that place.  Those whose faith is being tested must come to know that place.  Those with a Divine calling will need to live and operate from that place.  Difficulties challenge us to come into that place.  I pray that we all will embrace the Joy that is within, come to experience Joy in a transforming way, and begin to refuse to operate in anything less than the full shout of victory.

Releasing Our Unique Sound

Today, I wanted to spend a little time talking about each one of us releasing the sound of the Lord.  Not just any sound, or a general sound, but an individual sound; a sound that is unique to me: unique to you.  Hopefully, we will have a fuller understanding of the sound and the placement of each one of us in a particular sphere of influence. God has given us each a place where we can release that sound and change the atmosphere to come into alignment with the sound of heaven. 

Recently, I had an experience with the Lord as I was in worship.  I felt like the Lord came close to me, and stooped down until He was at eye level.  He took his right hand and ran His fingers over my forehead.  I could see Him gazing intently and reverently at the Name that was engraved there.  It was glowing golden with living light.  I couldn’t read what it said, because it was written in Hebrew letters, but I understood that there was a reverence in His attitude; a softness; an honoring.

As I began to contemplate the vision, I was reminded that in Gen. 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  This is a picture of  Creator King, announcing His crowning work of humanity, to the members of His heavenly court, and giving humanity authority to rule over that creation.  God placed a creature in His visible creation to represent His claim to kingship and to BRING ITS FULL POTENTIAL TO REALIZATION, to the praise of His glory.  I could pause right there and contemplate that sentence for a long time.  It is awesome to think God delegated authority to mankind to bring the full potential of creation into realization. 

In the ancient Near East, kings marked their territory by setting up images of themselves in a region they had conquered, as a sign of their authority.  We are His living stones.  We are God’s living, breathing markers. Wherever we go, we are announcing the kingdom of God has arrived.  We serve as the boundary marker saying the limit of the kingdom is here!

We are the sons of God who are the climax of God’s creative activity, crowned with glory and honor, and made rulers over creation. We are made in His image with delegated authority bestowed upon us.  According to Psalm 8:4 that is also echoed in Hebrews 2:5-8, we are now made a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory and honor and have everything put under our feet.

We resonate with the sound of God’s nature and victory that He spoke when He created the heavens and the earth.  That sound, or word, holds all things together.  Since we are made of the dust of the earth, we also have that sound as part of our DNA.  Each of us has the sound of the kingdom, and it produces a unique expression through our lives. 

For instance, I know that the unique sound God has given me has to do with the restoration of understanding of Israel in the plan of God.  I am called to awaken the church to her prophetic purpose regarding the land and the people.  I am to bring clarity to leaders about the prophetic thing that is swirling around them. I have known that for 7 years.   That means the mountain God wants me to influence is the Mountain of Religion.

I have other assignments where I am called to release a sound, but I wanted to use that as an illustration that all of us have a place and a sphere of influence.  Your place might be the mountain of Business.  One of my friends is called to influence the mountain of Arts and Entertainment.  Family may be the one some of you are primarily called to.   There is also the mountain of Education, Government and Media.  Some of you may be called to one or more of those.

We are here to be a voice and a presence to release the Kingdom of God in whatever sphere of influence has been delegated to us.  We are here to change the culture of that mountain to release the glory of God.  One is enough.  You are enough.  I am enough.

I wanted to look at the life of Daniel for a minute to illustrate this from a Biblical perspective.  I chose Daniel on purpose, as an example for us because he blows our excuses out of the water. Daniel was in captivity.  He was taken out of his home environment where he was comfortable, and thrust into an unfamiliar culture against his will.  It was not only culturally foreign, it was spiritually foreign.  

Nebuchadnezzar saw the potential in Daniel and his friends, and decided to groom them for his own court.  Daniel remained true to his God, uncompromising, in the culture around him.  He used wisdom and tact, but released a sound of worship that protected him, and ultimately gave him influence in a kingdom that was diametrically opposed to the kingdom of His God.

It is interesting to note that Nebuchadnezzar erected a statue of himself that was a pillar of gold.  He was named after the god, Nabu.  Nebuchadnezzar means, “Nabu protect my son or my boundary.”  Here we see again, that erecting the image was his way of marking the territory of his conquest.  Nebuchadnezzar required everyone to bow down to his image when they heard the sound of worship.  How many of us are in environments where there is another god that is honored above the God of heaven? How many of us are being required to bow at the sound of another system?  

Daniel and his friends were tuned to a different kingdom sound.  That sound was in conflict with the sound of the earthly kingdom.  They refused to bow down.  As you know, the three friends spent time in the fiery furnace, and God honored their sound of worship to Him, by saving them from the flames.  Sometimes the sound we need to be releasing is “no", but I believe there are many more positive sounds God is wanting released through us that will capture and intrigue the hearts around us.  It is not just that Daniel said no to what was being demanded of him.  He was releasing a sound that the culture around him did not understand and had no paradigm for.  Because he was faithful to release that sound, or be who God called him to be, he and his friends were given privilege and influence in that culture.

In chapter 6, Daniel is faced with another test.  This time he has to go it alone. This time, there is a conspiracy to undermine him and take him out because he would not forsake the worship of his God.  He is in conflict with the ruling forces around him.  His co-workers scheme to create a law that will trap only him and get rid of him, and trick the king into making it immutable law.  We still find Daniel releasing the sound of worship in such a way that his enemies hear and report him to the king.  Daniel does not change his behavior.  When the situation is brought to the attention of Nebuchadnezzar, the king realizes there is no way around the law, and so he is forced to order Daniel thrown into a den of lions.  

When I say Daniel was releasing a sound, I really mean he was being himself.  He was just doing what he was called to do, and he was responding to God.  It just so happens, that he was worshiping in a way we can relate to, but the sound does not mean just worship.  It means being true to yourself and your convictions no matter the audience, no matter the cost, no matter the outcome.  (It also requires tremendous wisdom.  Daniel was not offensive in his convictions.  He was gentle when he asked to eat food that would not require him to compromise his beliefs).

We know the rest of the story.  God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions.  This was God’s endorsement of Daniel before the rulers of the land.  King Darius recognized that Daniel’s God was the living God, and issued a decree that in every part of his kingdom, people should fear and reverence the God of Daniel.  Daniel gained influence in the kingdom.

The awesome result that resounds today may be of greater effect than Daniel had on his culture.  Because Daniel loved his God and was willing and courageous enough to agree with the sound of heaven and release it in his own unique way, we benefit today.  One man can make a tremendous difference that can endure for generations.  Daniel is a first fruits type of a people that are beginning to arise today.  Daniel is a show and tell for us today.  Daniel is our prototype, not just in a general way, but for THIS DAY.

Why do I day that?  I say that because, right after the lion’s den incident, he is given his visions and dreams about the end times.  He is seen reading scripture and understands that the days of Jerusalem’s captivity are about to end.  Gabriel comes to him and reveals things that are to take place in the future.  There are specific things in the Book of Daniel that are for us to know and understand for today.  Some of them didn’t make sense even a century ago, but now with hindsight, we can see some of these things have already unfolded.  We can see possibilities in place that were hidden before. 

We are living in the times that Daniel saw and wrote about.  He is a NOW prophet.  He is a very real example and prototype of what we have the potential to be and are called to be.  One man, one woman can have influence far beyond our imagination or current circle of influence.

We have each been given a sphere of influence and a unique sound.  We are called to advance within the sphere we have been entrusted with; not to merely occupy our present territory.  We are called to influence and change the atmosphere by remaining true to the sound God is developing in us. 

We are called to be a Matthew 22:37 people.  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." 

We cannot win what we do not love.  It is all about the people in the sphere God has given us.  It is all about sound of the love of God being released in and through us, to captivate and enthrall hearts with the beauty and the hope and the victory of the King and his Kingdom.  It’s all about releasing the kingdom of God within us; being Jesus’ representative to cause my sphere of influence to realize the full potential of that kingdom in the here and now. 

Daniel gives me great encouragement.  I think it is note worthy that Daniel was found praying at the time of the evening sacrifice when there hadn't been any sacrifice for 70 years.  Daniel was honoring his God and remaining true no matter the circumstances. That's faith.  That's the quality God honors. 

Lessons Learned from a Bedspread

When we moved into our new house two years ago, my bedroom became lost in mediocrity.  I brought the perfectly functional bedspread from my former home that had been color coordinated with the wallpaper and carpeting, but color trends change, and I was no longer fond of the mint green.  I certainly didn't want to use the pastel pallete that was so soothing in my old home.  However, I could not find a comforter in a color I wanted, or the quality I needed, for the price I wanted to pay.  Therefore, I lived with the mint green and did the best with what I had to make the room pleasant.

Then, one day, voila!  I found an expensive spread that was marked down 60%, in a color that was a radical departure from mint green.  It was still a little more than I wanted to pay, but I knew that after searching for 2 1/2 years, this was it.  I bought it and left it in the bag for a couple of weeks to let the sticker shock wear off a little, and see if I wanted to change my mind.

Finally, one day I was ready to make the commitment.  I took the spread out of the bag and dressed the bed from bottom to top with the dust ruffle, comforter and shams.  Stepping back, I was pleased with the look of the bed.  I was VERY pleased with the look of the bed.  It made me happy to look at the bed, but the bed served to point out how much of the rest of the room needed to come into agreement.  The bedspread was now the main event, and I saw how everything else had to shift and change to cooperate and reflect the glory.

The walls called for something to complement and celebrate the beauty.  The lamps were now too frilly and feminine, and the valances were only a mediocre accompaniment.  Not wanting to buy all new things, I searched for a way to minimize extra cost.  I saw that the lamps could be spray painted black, and with new shades, would work just fine.  I knew I had other valances that were a much better match, but one was being used in the guest room.  The question became one disturbing something that was working somewhere else, and repositioning it where it would work even better.  I liked the way the guest room looked.  That room was finished.  If I changed it, I would have two rooms in flux.  What would I do in that other bedroom?  Would I really be saving myself money if I now had to buy something for that room?

I decided to go for completing my bedroom.  In the process of getting out the other valance, I found a lace tablecloth that I was inspired to throw over the rod in the guest room. I  tied it up with two sheer curtains, making rosettes at the top with some strategically placed rubber bands and pins.  (You would have to see it to picture.)  I was happy with the results, and now had what I needed for my room with no extra expense!

With a few other minimal purchases found on sale, like three pictures for the wall purchased at a total of $18, and a large gold mirror I had never hung, the room came into alignment with the bedspread.  The finished product was much more than the  functional room it had been.  It was now a destination, a sanctuary and a retreat.

I began to see how one change in the big picture points out discrepancies in other areas that need to be modified.

Jesus is the biggest change agent in history.  When He arrived on earth, everything shifted.  Before His advent, there was no way to properly worship God.  There had to be a God-man to make the shift and open the way.  Mankind was lost in sin and transgression until the gift of salvation caused a change in that condition.

With the advent of this change, everything has to come into alignment.  Just as with the bedspread, some old things have to be discarded.  Some dated understandings have to take on new life by modifying them with new revelation like the lamps, and some ancient things with promise, can now be accessed and utilized, like the mirror.With the acceptance of the free gift of salvation, we become gifts to mankind and creation.  As we shift to come into alignment with Him, we change.  He becomes the main event and everything else has to adjust and change to reflect the glory and cooperate with Him.

Just as my walls called for participation in the glory and entrance into that realm caused the room to be a sanctuary, so we become that for the world.  Jesus is the change agent.  Now, I become one.  I am the gift; the change agent in the world around me.  Sometimes our own change causes others to make adjustments.  My guest room looks different because I removed something to make way for a new look there, too.  It took a willingness to go all the way and trust that the outcome that was best for one room would work itself out in the other.  In the long run, both were beneficiaries of the change. 

IDENTITY

IDENTITY

The root of the word identity seems to come from the Latin, identidem: repeatedly.  It is a contraction of idem et idem which means, the same and same.  This implies that at its core, one’s identity is stable, fixed and sure. 

When I look at the definition of identity: (the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions), there is, something implied of stability and being true to some inner value.   There is some inherent quality that one comes back to, time and time again.  There is a consistency.

There is another part of the definition: (the set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group), that would seem to be open to alteration.  The question becomes, “Who am I in relation to this group?”  Again, the implication is that one has a distinctness about him that sets him apart, and allows him to be both defined and included in the group.  He has found his place; his individuality.

What happens when the group changes significantly?  What effect does this have on identity and individuality when one is surrounded by changing factors that used to be markers for behavior?  How does one maintain the quality of remaining the same under the conditions that are changing?  How does one change behavior to accommodate a new environment as it is shifting and in flux?  Does one push the “pause” button and wait for some sense of stability to gel, thereby forfeiting input that would come from his own identity or inner core beliefs?  Or does one continue to be true to those beliefs even if they are not valued by the group?

Another question is, do we really value individuality?  Do we really value the distinct personality of an individual that is a persisting entity?  Does the Gospel require this?  If so, how do we work at this as leaders and as individuals that are part of a whole?  How do we work a valuing those who are different, who do not share our life experience and outlook?

How do we make time for listening and relationship that will foster understanding to move beyond threat and strengthen the bonds of the group?  How do we let down the guards and the protective barriers to let others in enough to seek to see from another perspective?  How do we remain in the center of the ring, and not retreat to our respective corners at the first sign of challenge?

What happens when core beliefs are challenged by new revelation?  Do we regard those beliefs as immutable, or can we adopt the attitude that fuller revelation can alter the application with a new behavior? 

I’ve been asking these questions both as a leader and as a member of a group.  It seems to me that I cannot change alone.  Everything I do affects others.  Everything others do affects me.  I cannot remain unchanged in a new environment. 

When Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new,” some old things had to change.  So I am asking what part of my identity needs to be upgraded to be like Him?  How can I bring that into the groups that I am a part of as a leader to impart vision and possibility to others, and as a member of a group to encourage and build up and strengthen that group.

Laying Down One's Life

I've been thinking about the concept of laying down one's life.  What a coup it was when Jesus died on the cross.  Words can't capture the full revelation, but words are all we have.  We need a new language; a new vocabulary. There is so much power in laying down one's life.  Truly then, the enemy has no hold.  What looks like weakness is true strength.

At the point of Jesus' death, I picture the enemy's exultation and celebration. The enemy had just spent time intently watching the unfolding of his plan--step by incremental step--as Jesus became entangled with no hope of escape.  He appeared to be getting more and more paralyzed with each step, and more caught up in an inevitable plot to destroy him.

He was increasingly sapped of life; drained drop by drop.  That life was extinguished slowly and completely.  He seemed exhausted of any alternatives, hemmed in and forced down a path that became narrower and focused toward his ultimate destruction.  At that point, the enemy had him.  His conquest was sure, complete and final.  Just as Satan was foaming at the mouth with satisfaction and exultation, Jesus devastated him.

What is it about voluntary death that is so powerful?  What is it about voluntary and free service?  What is it about laying down self to see others exalted?  I'm wondering why the enemy didn't see the supreme example of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit eternally linked, living to exalt and lift each other up.  Why didn't he get that piece, being that he had been so close to it as Lucifer?

Is it because true humility, even in the Godhead , is so inconspicuous?  Is it because the one being lifted up and exalted is so easily recognized, that all the glory belongs to him, and no recognition goes to the one doing the lifting up?  Are they really that invisible?

The thought occurs to me that, yes, Lucifer could have become caught up in the exaltation of Jesus and, wanting some for himself, was blind to the sacrificial love of the Father and the Holy Spirit.  He didn't see what enabled Jesus to be lifted up.

So it is with us.  Jesus came as one of us, but with an even lower heart.  In Ps. 22:6, which Jesus quoted on the cross, it says, "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people..."  Jesus calls himself a worm--a maggot.  He came with a heart to get under and lift up.  I'm not really sure that a man can really lift up another man.  They are equals.  One can defer to, but can he really lift up?  Doesn't it mean that he would have to go lower to truly lift up another?  A worm; that would do.  Jesus was demonstrating the concept of considering others greater than self.

How can I appropriate this in my own life?  It seems one dimensional, until I consider other aspects.  Sometimes, in laying down the "self-life", I become visible.  I become exaggerated in the congregation.  I become something all eyes are focused on.  In that case, being "invisible" is not the hard part of humility; being "seen" is.  Being a catalyst and the obviously odd one, not seeming to be in the flow, is the hard part.  Being the breaker, with no rights to the self-life, is the hard part, too.

So, I guess laying down one's life takes humility, either way.  Being invisible is just as hard as being visible, unless the Holy Spirit gives the joy of knowing I am simply endeavoring to follow His leading.  When I lay my life down voluntarily, it is powerful because the anointing comes and meets the sacrifice.  There is a demonstration of the Kingdom of God, whether anyone else notices or not.