My brothers and sisters,
How do we pursue this heartfelt passion of reflecting the character of the Father here on earth without striking battle lines within our own family? When is it that everything but Christ fades from our vision into the background of man-made distinctions? How do we walk together with those who have determined the distinctions they have constructed are important to their faith and walk?
They are many that have experienced great hurt in any number of fellowships whether they be labeled institutional, simple, organic, para-church etc. There are many large, denomination or independent, gatherings of people who are doing great things for the kingdom of God and doing so with His blessing. We must be very careful not to add more clutter around the centrality of Jesus and forget the Father’s heart in all of this. The Father is always seeking to restore and He actively seeks to speak to His children. Therein is the rub; what is He saying to you personally about this young lady? What is your part? Let the Holy Spirit steer you and lead you to His conclusion. No matter where she is to fellowship, build the appropriate relationship and begin the disciple’s process of living life together. Seek the Lord and sincerely ask “What is my part in this Lord?” He will answer. Teach this new believer from the beginning that the Father speaks to her heart as well; show her how to listen.
It will be a mystery to us at times as to how someone can “do this” or “do that” and call it “church”. It will be a mystery to us, but that is perfectly natural, we aren’t building it. In Matthew 16 Jesus clearly tells us all “I will build my church…” and He is without a doubt building His church. Whatever dissolves and is blown away as so much chaff, He did not build. The gates of hell will not prevail, not “might not”, but will not. He told us to go and make disciples, that is our call and design; be one and make one or two or ….you get the picture.
Jesus does not need us to defend His work, it will defend itself. This is a lesson I have begun to process over these last few months by seeking to be a part of what He is building by doing what He tells me and forfeiting the mission to tear down what man has constructed. If it is to fall down, it will fall on its own. If we do what we do in the Body His way, what is supposed to die will reveal itself.
It is the sincere conviction of many that the institutional church is dying and divinely so. That may be the case, I’m not sure, but I do know this; the Church is not dying, it is growing. The labels (IC) can die or be birthed again and again, they are something we have created, defined, embraced and then abandoned. New labels (constructs, movements, denominations) we should be wary of creating because by definition and design they divide. How wonderful would it be to be “Simply Church” instead of Simple Church? Living the abundant life instead of labeling the next: “this is where you get it”.
The church that is growing is the church who seeks the heart of the matter; the Father desired sons from the beginning and made provision for restoration (from the beginning) of these sons (men and women: Galatians 3.28) for the purpose of enjoying a familial relationship forever. There is a relationship with meaning that isn’t just perceived, but realized in living life together. Our Lord’s battle involves the hearts of men and so must ours. We protect what we build and fail; sometimes we defend what we build and say Jesus built it, and still fail. If we strive to be a part of His building program beginning with the hearts of men, then we needn’t be concerned, there is no failure possible.
What do you do with the new believer? Begin the walk of family with them, teaching the ways of the household; show them where the Father has hidden the good cookies! We do not know how much time with have with anyone God has put in front of us; it could be days or many years. We do know that He has a part for us to play and we are to be attentive to their needs and His purposes. Pour out the life that lives in you for however long you can and be listening.
How do we walk in fellowship with those of us with different “definitions” of what is appropriate in this Kingdom walk? Take every opportunity to build and forget the tearing down, if it is hay and stubble there is a wind that will come along eventually. Agree on God’s goodness and man’s desperation in most things and take every opportunity to share what you have been told to share by the Father. Michael rightly pointed out that The Father hates division, hates it and only those who are willing to approach unity in the Father’s desire for His children will be able to see the bigger picture from His perspective. There will be differences always, but they pale in comparison to how important each one of us is to Him and our mission to impart the truth of that importance to one another.
Whether we meet in buildings, houses, Moose Lodges (my personal favorite), store fronts, book stores, Chick fil-A (another personal favorite), Ice skating rink (not a favorite) or Starbucks it doesn’t really matter. Remember Jesus spoke in the synagogues, and they were the creation of man and weren’t the Father’s intention for the Jews.
Can we address the heart of the matter wherever we are in such a way that Jesus is preeminent in all things and the Kingdom that is at hand becomes evident? If we fellowship where it is not; begin to reveal what needs to be built and forget about tearing anything down, it will fall on its own, but our relationships with one another and Him should stand by the grace of God.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Memories
Memories
What does God remember?
We generally emphasize what God forgets; or better said; what He chooses to forget. Do we stop and think what it is that He remembers about us? We travel these years, however many we have, clinging to memories that we cherish so that we can visit backwards in time and think on something or someone that touched us moved us emotionally. We think back and smile and our hearts are refreshed when we think of the little boy in the fighter pilot jacket or little girl stockings with the frilly behind that constantly need to be adjusted. We reminisce at times because we long for those days or maybe we reflect back when we face the reality that half of our lives have passed us by.
The Father remembers His promises to His people: In Psalm 105.8 the psalmist tells us that the Father remembers His covenant forever, even for a thousands generations. When we are tempted to say God has not provided, we must ask ourselves; “Is it what He has promised?”. How many times have I been guilty of blaming God or failing to believe because of my circumstances when my circumstance is caused by the effects of believing in what the Father has not promised or provided? When we ask; “Are we living in the promise?”, that is a relevant question. If we find that we are not living in what was promised then many of our questions answer themselves.
When we do to others what we see Him doing with us.
When relationships become difficult and seem to be out of control or seem to be irreparable, then we must look to see if these relationships are being lived out in what God remembers; His covenant. God promises to bless forgiveness, humility, obedience and yes even sacrifice. Is this evident in our relationships? If not we shouldn’t expect the Father to nourish that relationship, the Father is not an enabler of what is not pleasing to Him, but is willing to bring whatever is submitted to Him into the promise of His remembrance.
It isn’t enough to wish for good things to happen in our relationships with one another. When our relationships are building what we want to forget, then they are not a reflection of the Father’s heart. We should be looking towards forgetting what is not reflective of the Father and pursue what is worthy of remembrance.
God doesn’t want us to have premarital sex because sex is bad. God doesn’t want us to have premarital sex because it isn’t worthy of remembrance, it doesn’t reflect commitment that Christ has for his bride; and building something that is cherished. God doesn’t want us to forgive because nothing bad happens to us, because it does. God wants us to forgive because it isn’t worth remembering, it doesn’t reflect something that is to be cherished.
Not building memories and failing to forgive is tragic and sinful.
The word tells us that the Father is faithful and just in forgiving our sin; why? He doesn’t want to remember, he doesn’t desire to build His memories on what has hurt us or our relationship with Him. Like an earthly Father he wants to put away in the deepest places what has separated us from memories that are worthwhile, that will last forever, that reflect the covenant of the Father.
We must be those that love to cling to memories that are worthy. Just as the older saint who just can’t seem to let go of those things from the past our Father clings to the memories we have built with Him. The grandmother who runs her hand over photographs from the past or the father who touches that item his son cherished when he was a young boy illustrate for us I believe what our father desires. We must forsake what has brought bad memories in our lives and understand that they were not the Father’s intention. We must begin to build what He wants to remember and live out our lives building memories that are His intention.
If you cannot forgive, you cannot forget and if you cannot forget you cannot move forward and live out what is worthy of remembrance. Something very tragic happens when we allow this: You can make the mistake of attributing your inability to forgive and forget with Our Fathers ability to do the same. Your desire for someone else to feel your pain means you view God the same way; that He wants you to suffer for what you’ve done and nothing is further from the truth. If you see God as cruel, you are cruel. If you see God as not caring, then you don’t care. You forgive because it offers the possibility of restoration, you forget because you choose to; that is what the Jesus has made possible and modeled for us.
How tragic would it be for you to have your memories thrown away because none of them are cherished? Hanging onto what plagues you and then in the end knowing that it isn’t what you should have held so tightly, that it should have been forgotten and something else should have been built and cherished.
God wants to remember us for what is memorable, not what sin has caused. He wants to disregard what is not worthy of remembering and we should strive to do the same. In short, he wants to remember us as part of what He has promised. We must do the same if we want a life worth living; giving to God what is forgettable and wasn’t what He intended. Living a life that builds memories for eternity, looking backwards on our lives as lives consecrated and as a part of a covenant that lasts forever. If you want God to remember you, you must be willing to forgive and forget what He is willing to forgive and forget.
Begin to build what is memorable to God by taking the first step of releasing what He wants to forget. Remove yourself from the burden and influence of what has separated you from God and rejoin what was intended to begin with. Jesus provided the way and made us the promise (1 John 1.9).
Call out to Him to remember you and give to Him what should be forgotten.
Our father is always willing to take from us what we should be willing to give up. I say should be willing to give up, because many times it just seems to hard. We have been hurt or we have hurt someone else and we do not feel that we have been made to feel better about it and we just will not let it go.
There should be a “calling out”. David cried out repeatedly because he needed to. David was arrogant at times but he was not arrogant enough to think God did not hear him and wanted to put his sin away. Arrogant seems to be an odd word here, but think about it. How arrogant do you have to be to think that you do not have to let go of the sin that plagues you even though Jesus had to die for it. When you say you don’t have to call out to God and let Him hear you, then you are your own God and your pride is evident.
David knew some very important truths; God never forgot him and was available to mend, to forgive, to rebuild what was torn apart. David knew that God wanted to build on their relationship something that could not be forgotten. David knew that God wanted him to be a representation of who the Father was to all those around him that he was accountable for and he knew what do when he was no longer that representation: He cried out to God and always remembered the “He remembers his covenant forever”.
We are a forgiven people; at least the possibility is there.
The Father is forgetful because he chooses to be.
Building memories in the promise of the Father’s intentions is freedom.
Our Father wants to remember us.
What does God remember?
We generally emphasize what God forgets; or better said; what He chooses to forget. Do we stop and think what it is that He remembers about us? We travel these years, however many we have, clinging to memories that we cherish so that we can visit backwards in time and think on something or someone that touched us moved us emotionally. We think back and smile and our hearts are refreshed when we think of the little boy in the fighter pilot jacket or little girl stockings with the frilly behind that constantly need to be adjusted. We reminisce at times because we long for those days or maybe we reflect back when we face the reality that half of our lives have passed us by.
The Father remembers His promises to His people: In Psalm 105.8 the psalmist tells us that the Father remembers His covenant forever, even for a thousands generations. When we are tempted to say God has not provided, we must ask ourselves; “Is it what He has promised?”. How many times have I been guilty of blaming God or failing to believe because of my circumstances when my circumstance is caused by the effects of believing in what the Father has not promised or provided? When we ask; “Are we living in the promise?”, that is a relevant question. If we find that we are not living in what was promised then many of our questions answer themselves.
When we do to others what we see Him doing with us.
When relationships become difficult and seem to be out of control or seem to be irreparable, then we must look to see if these relationships are being lived out in what God remembers; His covenant. God promises to bless forgiveness, humility, obedience and yes even sacrifice. Is this evident in our relationships? If not we shouldn’t expect the Father to nourish that relationship, the Father is not an enabler of what is not pleasing to Him, but is willing to bring whatever is submitted to Him into the promise of His remembrance.
It isn’t enough to wish for good things to happen in our relationships with one another. When our relationships are building what we want to forget, then they are not a reflection of the Father’s heart. We should be looking towards forgetting what is not reflective of the Father and pursue what is worthy of remembrance.
God doesn’t want us to have premarital sex because sex is bad. God doesn’t want us to have premarital sex because it isn’t worthy of remembrance, it doesn’t reflect commitment that Christ has for his bride; and building something that is cherished. God doesn’t want us to forgive because nothing bad happens to us, because it does. God wants us to forgive because it isn’t worth remembering, it doesn’t reflect something that is to be cherished.
Not building memories and failing to forgive is tragic and sinful.
The word tells us that the Father is faithful and just in forgiving our sin; why? He doesn’t want to remember, he doesn’t desire to build His memories on what has hurt us or our relationship with Him. Like an earthly Father he wants to put away in the deepest places what has separated us from memories that are worthwhile, that will last forever, that reflect the covenant of the Father.
We must be those that love to cling to memories that are worthy. Just as the older saint who just can’t seem to let go of those things from the past our Father clings to the memories we have built with Him. The grandmother who runs her hand over photographs from the past or the father who touches that item his son cherished when he was a young boy illustrate for us I believe what our father desires. We must forsake what has brought bad memories in our lives and understand that they were not the Father’s intention. We must begin to build what He wants to remember and live out our lives building memories that are His intention.
If you cannot forgive, you cannot forget and if you cannot forget you cannot move forward and live out what is worthy of remembrance. Something very tragic happens when we allow this: You can make the mistake of attributing your inability to forgive and forget with Our Fathers ability to do the same. Your desire for someone else to feel your pain means you view God the same way; that He wants you to suffer for what you’ve done and nothing is further from the truth. If you see God as cruel, you are cruel. If you see God as not caring, then you don’t care. You forgive because it offers the possibility of restoration, you forget because you choose to; that is what the Jesus has made possible and modeled for us.
How tragic would it be for you to have your memories thrown away because none of them are cherished? Hanging onto what plagues you and then in the end knowing that it isn’t what you should have held so tightly, that it should have been forgotten and something else should have been built and cherished.
God wants to remember us for what is memorable, not what sin has caused. He wants to disregard what is not worthy of remembering and we should strive to do the same. In short, he wants to remember us as part of what He has promised. We must do the same if we want a life worth living; giving to God what is forgettable and wasn’t what He intended. Living a life that builds memories for eternity, looking backwards on our lives as lives consecrated and as a part of a covenant that lasts forever. If you want God to remember you, you must be willing to forgive and forget what He is willing to forgive and forget.
Begin to build what is memorable to God by taking the first step of releasing what He wants to forget. Remove yourself from the burden and influence of what has separated you from God and rejoin what was intended to begin with. Jesus provided the way and made us the promise (1 John 1.9).
Call out to Him to remember you and give to Him what should be forgotten.
Our father is always willing to take from us what we should be willing to give up. I say should be willing to give up, because many times it just seems to hard. We have been hurt or we have hurt someone else and we do not feel that we have been made to feel better about it and we just will not let it go.
There should be a “calling out”. David cried out repeatedly because he needed to. David was arrogant at times but he was not arrogant enough to think God did not hear him and wanted to put his sin away. Arrogant seems to be an odd word here, but think about it. How arrogant do you have to be to think that you do not have to let go of the sin that plagues you even though Jesus had to die for it. When you say you don’t have to call out to God and let Him hear you, then you are your own God and your pride is evident.
David knew some very important truths; God never forgot him and was available to mend, to forgive, to rebuild what was torn apart. David knew that God wanted to build on their relationship something that could not be forgotten. David knew that God wanted him to be a representation of who the Father was to all those around him that he was accountable for and he knew what do when he was no longer that representation: He cried out to God and always remembered the “He remembers his covenant forever”.
We are a forgiven people; at least the possibility is there.
The Father is forgetful because he chooses to be.
Building memories in the promise of the Father’s intentions is freedom.
Our Father wants to remember us.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)