Relating to a Dimensionless God: The Conclusion

Continued from Relating to a Dimensionless God: Part 1...

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

...One day, the most gloriously peculiar thing began to happen. It all started when the Sphere once again entered flat space fully. In flat space, the Sphere appears as a circle, just like everyone else, except it is the only perfect circle without a single irregularity. Yet, it maintains its properties as a sphere existing beyond the dimensions of flat space. Therefore, we see that the Sphere exists as fully circle and fully Sphere at the same time.

The Perfect Circle points out some of the most obvious imperfections of many prominent irregular circles, beckoning them to draw near again to the Sphere. In fact, the Perfect Circle slowly begins to reveal that he is the Sphere! However, except for a very few, most of the irregularity ridden circles despise the Perfect Circle, convinced that he is not indeed as perfect as he claims and certainly not their Creator the Sphere! Eventually, all but a few imperfect circles come to hate the Perfect Circle and plot to kill Him, but they cannot, for they have no power over the Sphere. Instead, inexplicably, the Perfect Sphere/Circle submits Himself to erasure and allows the irregular circles to erase his apparent imprint on flat space. The sinister, perfectly irregular entity has never been nearer to the Sphere than now, cackling and insulting the Perfect Circle until finally the last of him is erased from flat space. The last Perfect Circle. The only Perfect Circle. Gone.
...

But what is that?! Something previously unseen! Has that been there the entire time or did it just appear? Flat space is not alone! Below it are two more sheets like it! But they seem as peculiar as flat space in many ways. The bottom layer is black space, and in it is the imprint of multitudes of very irregular circles, almost unrecognizable as circles…yes, their irregularities seem to be amplified compared to those in flat space. But between black space and flat space exists a most wondrous red space. And look! There! The Sphere! It is now residing in red space, perfectly cross-sected just as it once was in flat space! And it seems to be surrounded by a great number of circles…but wait, these circles are all perfect…and at times they occupy the same red space with the Sphere, such that they are indistinguishable from each other and the Sphere. What is this place? A place of restored perfect unity not seen since the very beginning!
...

Back in flat space, the Perfect Circle looks as erased as any circle ever has been...except those in flat space still don’t comprehend that his nature is truly a sphere, external to the 2D flat space that he in fact created. Even still, flat space has never seemed so irregular, so ugly, so full of certain and utter erasure. That is, until the most amazing thing happened…

It is the third day since the erasure of the Perfect Circle, the Sphere in flat space. Suddenly, MMMP! The Sphere slams the black and red spaces together against flat space! And just as suddenly, the Sphere appears again in flat space, a perfect circle! But there is something different, the Sphere is different…no, he is the same…but his appearance is now red. He seems to have somehow connected the perfection of red space with flat space!

A few irregular circles that once followed the Perfect Circle come near and seem almost magnetically attached to him, yet most of the flat space circles stay far away. In only a short time, the Sphere leaves flat space again, to the disappointment of the circles that had clung so closely to him. But again, a most peculiar happening: all who had connected to the Perfect Circle after His erasure have been changed…they have received his red color! What could this mean? They do not fully know, but it becomes apparent that those who know the Perfect Circle can be easily distinguished from those who never knew him.

Furthermore, slowly, but surely, all irregular circles that have been colored red begin to lose their irregularity. It is almost imperceptible…but yes, it is there! The irregularity is being healed! Meanwhile, as the healing, not-so-irregular circles mill about, some irregular, non-red circles begin to have contact with the red ones and they too become red. Others never become red. It is all a bit mysterious, but the red circles recall the Perfect Circle’s instructions to “Go and make red circles of all nations. I am with you always, to the very end.” As mysterious as it sounded, it seems to be true! That by simply carrying the Red Gift of the Perfect Circle, they have the power to share his healing Red Power with all who will receive it. What an amazing course of events!

Something good seems to be happening to these still irregular spheres with the Red Gift, because they are becoming less irregular every day. As good as that may seem, most shockingly, these red circles still begin to fade or suddenly disappear from flat land...the same as all irregular circles, whatever their color. But as they are erased, we see the red space receive their image—but look, this is perhaps the most amazing part! They are instantly transformed to a perfect red circle! And in the center of the red space? The Sphere, in majestic perfection and glory.

All circles that have not received the Red Gift at erasure are transferred to the black space, never having received the only passage to red space that comes through the Perfect Circle alone. Conversely, as many as have received the Red Gift at erasure are transferred to red space. In the black space, all irregularities are enhanced...in fact, they are perfectly irregular, just as the dreadful, perfectly irregular entity that now resides in the center of black space. In the red space, all irregularity is gone. And amongst them is the Sphere, the Perfect Circle, and the Red Gift is everywhere. In fact, they have all come to occupy the same space, such that you can no longer perceive one circle from another, nor any circle from the Sphere...they are as one! All circles are as one, and the Sphere is as one with all circles. Perfection, just as it was created in the beginning.

All praise to the Sphere, the Perfect Circle, and the indwelling Red Gift. All praise to God the Father, Jesus Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit of God. Forever and ever. Amen.


*Disclaimer: I acknowledge that this metaphor is not theologically perfect, omitting some of God’s character, and imperfectly representing other parts of his character. It is meant to articulate a greater perspective and help to understand God, Creation, Man, Sin, Heaven, Hell, Substitution, Intercession, and Sanctification…but it is not meant to explain each of them fully.

Relating to a Dimensionless God: Part 1

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

Borrowing the old preacher's metaphor of humans as two dimensional circles and God being a three dimensional sphere, I am inspired to build upon that imagery more thoroughly, for I believe that it is useful for understanding, if only slightly better, man's relationship to and infinite God.

We exist in a three dimensional world, four if you count time, as some do.  If there is a supreme God, then He created this three dimensional world and time itself, therefore being superior to any created dimension.  We cannot adequately describe anything that exists in dimensions beyond ours (though many have fun trying, and I enjoy the genre of movies and stories that spring forth from such creative thought); therefore, we may seek to build our understanding in reverse, placing our world anecdotally as the highest dimension and exploring the relationship to a created world with fewer dimensions.  We can then take our understanding of that scenario and place ourselves in the perspective of the world of fewer dimensions, God in the "world" of greater dimensions, and understand more fully our relationship to God.

Imagine a sphere existing in open space.  There is a sphere and nothing else but black space.  This sphere sheds what looks to be an outer covering and spreads it flat in the open space below.  Peculiarly, this sphere enters into this flattened out used-to-be-covering, such that it perfectly cross-sects the sphere.  MMMP!  A burst of light and the paper is gloriously stained.  The sphere moves sideways in the flat space, leaving behind the imprint of a perfect circle.  But that is not the end of this peculiar scene.  The sphere and this created circle have a strange interaction, with the ability to occupy the same space such that the sphere and the created circle cannot be distinguished from one another.  Even still, even greater peculiarity awaits.

Next, the sphere extracts a small portion of the created circle, such that it fades ever so slightly.  With this small extracted ink-like material, the sphere moves sideways in flat space and MMMP!  Another circle is created.  Now there are two circles and the flat space cross-sected sphere existing together, each abiding in the same flat space, with the ability of full overlap such that they are indistinguishable from one another.

If that wasn't intriguing enough, what happens next is quite disturbing.  Another entity, three dimensional and of abnormal shape...in fact, perfectly irregular if there ever was such a thing, with no two sides the same length, no two angles the same, and honestly ugly compared with the perfect circles...this entity descends to newly created flat space, entering such that it cross-sects just as the space did with the sphere.  This entity lacks the Mmmp! power to create its image in flat space...but this perfectly irregular entity has other, sinister power.

The perfectly irregular entity begins to encroach upon the two perfect circles.  The entity convinces the circles that if they allow it to be a part of their circles that they will know what it is like to be three dimensional!  They can become just like their creator, the sphere, he says.  Further, he says that the sphere does not want them to share that privilege, but that he can grant it, if they will embrace him.  Tricked, both spheres embrace the perfectly irregular entity.  Mmmp!  What's that?!  Horrifically, the once perfect circles look at themselves and see large, jagged imperfections!  They are still circular in nature, but their borders are characterized by irregularities.  "What a terrible thing has happened!" they cry, as the perfectly irregular entity cackles and flees the scene.

The sphere comes near.  The once perfect, now irregular circles seek to hide themselves, but they cannot.  As the sphere comes near, it becomes painfully obvious that with their jagged irregularities, they can no longer occupy the same space as the sphere.  The sphere desires to share the perfect unity again, as do the circles, but without being made perfect again, they simply cannot.  In fact, the sphere now withdraws itself such that it is no longer perfectly cross-sected by the flat space, but instead maintains a tangential relationship with constant contact to flat space, but much less intimate space sharing. The sphere, though unable to unite with the irregular circles as they once did, remains near, guiding them as closely as their irregularities allow. However, the irregular circles inexplicably begin to slowly fade.  This is quite disturbing and they grieve as they realize that only by their prior unity in flat space with the sphere were they able to remain fully vibrant in color.  But they are helpless against the fading that slowly persists.

The imperfect circles begin to multiply and multiply, until much of the once seemingly infinite flat space becomes occupied with imperfect circle after imperfect circle.  They find, heartbreakingly, that the circles they produce together carry imperfections, and no perfect circle is ever seen again.  Still, the sphere remains near to the imperfect circles that will remain near to him.  He never leaves, yet no circle, nor the sphere itself experiences the blissful unity they shared in the beginning.

Even worse, since receiving irregularity, the spheres seem to continually fade until one day they completely disappear, never to return again!  Furthermore, that dreadful, perfectly irregular entity continues to wreak havoc, amplifying the irregularities of the once circular that remain the farthest from the sphere.  Interestingly, the perfectly irregular entity dares not come near the sphere.  Worst of all, the perfectly irregular entity wields what every circle fears most: The Eraser.  Suddenly, and without warning, circles are erased, never to be heard from again!  It seems that whether by slowly fading away or suddenly, all circles are erased in time, and the cumulative irregularity of the flat space circles continues to grow. In fact, some circles become so jagged, so marred, that they are hardly recognizable as circles at all, much more closely resembling the perfectly irregular entity that seems to be at the root of everything imperfect in flat space.

With such irregularity and separation from all that was once perfect, many circles lose hope.  But others remember the promise given by the sphere throughout their generations: the promise of one that has the power to restore the circles to the sphere.  But when?  How?  And so they waited...

...To be continued...

Find the Conclusion here: Relating to a Dimensionless God: The Conclusion


*Disclaimer: I acknowledge that this metaphor is not theologically perfect, omitting some of God’s character, and imperfectly representing other parts of his character. It is meant to articulate a greater perspective and help to understand God, Creation, Man, Sin…but it is not meant to explain each of them fully.

Pray It Through: In Jesus' Name

John 16:23-24, 26 – “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete…26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.”

I wonder if any one of us comprehends the power of Jesus’ name.  He is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is Lord: sovereign, perfect God.  He is Jesus: a distinct individual, fully God and fully man.  He is Christ: the Word becoming flesh, poured out for us, the ransom for our sins such that we may have eternal life with God.  This is Jesus’ name.  This is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even still, I wonder if any one of us comprehends the power of Jesus’ name.  We are rightfully taught to pray in Jesus’ name, as He himself taught us that.  And we are obedient to do it, ending every prayer and interjecting into the middle of our prayers His name.  But too often, that is the extent of it: we are merely following a formula, a tradition, and we say His name with no more reverence or power than any other words we utter in a given day.  But if we understood the power and meaning of praying in Jesus’ name, if we comprehended it even minutely more than we did yesterday, our lives and spiritual journeys could be radically and gloriously transformed.

I would like to first build upon our most common understanding and intent when praying in Jesus’ name.  As mentioned above, too often we pray out of rote and tradition, thoughtlessly.  If you are feeling convicted just now, it is the Holy Spirit’s work in you—rejoice that you have felt the presence of God!  And take heart, for I stand equally convicted.  Perhaps the next step in the walk of grace as we pray in Jesus’ name is taking the view of the natural interpretation of John 16:23-26.  I say “walk of grace” because it is by God’s grace that we comprehend His deepest truths, being welcomed into abundant life, both eternal and immediate.  Comprehending Jesus’ name is one of these great truths and experiences of grace in our lives.

Two things immediately jump out at me as I read John 16:23-26.  1. Anything I ask in Jesus’ name will be granted to me, and 2. I am not asking Jesus to ask for me, but instead, I have direct communication with the Father and it is the asking in Jesus’ name that grants me my request.  From here, we often err (and by “we,” I mean “I”).  The human mind immediately begins to surmise that the key to obtaining that which I desire in this very moment, whether noble or shallow, is praying in Jesus’ name.  Jesus’ name then becomes a magic currency or voucher of divine credit by which I can obtain the desires of my heart, flesh, and soul.  Before we immediately reject this train of thought (It is much harder to admit to it when it is called out so plainly, but search yourself and see if you have not considered Jesus’ name in such a way after boiling down your motives and desires until only the bare truth remains.), I would like to explore this analogy of Jesus’ name being a “voucher of divine credit.”

Consider the following situation: Your father is wealthy and you live in his house as his child.  You work together and he takes good care of you.  One day you ask for money to purchase something you desire.  Your father gives you a check for the exact amount and you take it to the store.  When the time comes to make the transaction and purchase the item, the clerk will look for at least three things: form of payment (in this case, a check), an authorizing signature, and a valid proof of identification.  If you are missing any of these, the payment is rejected.  Any combination of two will not suffice…you must have all three.  And I believe that prayer can be viewed in this way, if done very methodically and carefully.  God has essentially given us the “checkbook” of prayer, in that He has granted us access to Him and His infinite power.  Furthermore, He has granted those who have been regenerated in Christ the identity of Christ through the Holy Spirit, for we are His body and indwelled by Him.  And lastly, we have His authority and “signature” in Jesus’ name.  Prayer without the Holy Spirit or Jesus Christ is an unauthorized check.  Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit without God the Father is like an ID card and signature on a piece of paper that means nothing (before you call me a heretic, I do not believe we can be indwelled by the Holy Spirit, walking in relationship with Christ, and NOT pray (i.e. commune with God); therefore, this portion of the analogy is strictly for the sake of conveying the point).  The overarching point is that we must be identified and in communion with all three: Father, Son, and Spirit, or our prayers will be hindered.  This is no surprise, for you cannot know God without knowing all three, for all three are indeed divinely One.

Furthermore, to pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in faith.  To utter Jesus’ name without faith in Him is like presenting counterfeit currency.  The untrained eye may be fooled, but the producer of the currency will spot its falsehood with ease.  We cannot fool God…He knows our sincere and counterfeit words of faith.  However, the above example is almost petty and certainly inadequate, for the depth of understanding comes from comprehending what it means to be identified in Christ and to ask in Jesus’ name.  If His name is simply an authorizing signature and we do not understand it to any greater degree, then we have gained very little understanding thus far.  (Such analogies to currency and transaction can be very misleading and I use them simply because our minds have been trained to understand things in this context.  The analogy is true in meaning, but severely inadequate at reaching the truth of the power of Jesus’ name, which is far removed from transaction conceived by our earthly desires.)

Since we have been building our comprehension of praying in Jesus’ name, starting with simple obedience and tradition, however thoughtless, then stepping forward in grace to authorization through Jesus name, we can build further by examining the nature of His name and not just what it does for us.  The first of these is covering and intercession.

Heb 9:12-15 – “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

In this scripture we understand a review of Old Testament sacrifices: a covenant extended by God to Israel, which by the shedding of animals’ blood in sacrifice and obedience to God, a portion of atonement was granted to the faithful.  This temporal atonement, as explained throughout Hebrews to a direct audience with very keen knowledge of such commandments and the covenant, was replaced in a new covenant by Jesus, the only perfect sacrifice.  Knowing that “by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)” we can receive Jesus' teaching, “this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (Matt 26:28), in view of Heb 9 above, and we can therefore have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb 10:19).  And so we see that through the blood of Christ we are made able to stand unblemished before the throne of God, a place where only perfect righteousness can remain alive…perfect righteousness only available to a human through Christ.  This is part of the reason why Jesus says in John 16:26, “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.”  It is not that Jesus’ death and resurrection allows us to communicate with the Father by messages delivered by Jesus (or any other man or being for that matter), but that we ourselves not only speak to the Father Himself, but enter the “Holiest.”  The “Holiest” or “Holy of Holies” was the presence of God in the tabernacle and is what is being conveyed here: the very presence of God Himself. 

The high priest, thought to be the most righteous of men, would have a rope tied around him when entering this place of perfect righteousness and the presence of God.  Had the proper blood sacrifices not been prepared according to the covenant and the high priest therefore still harbored sin within him, unremoved by the blood of the sacrifice before God, he would die immediately in the Holy of Holies.  Should anyone enter to retrieve his body, he also would die, as sin in the presence of God spells immediate death.  Therefore, the rope would be utilized in the event of such an occurrence to remove the high priest from the presence of God in the tabernacle.  This is the seriousness of God’s presence and the amazing privilege and power of Jesus’ name granted to us!  We can enter the Holy of Holies, God’s very throne room without a rope, without speaking through any priest, and without fear of dying…if we are covered by the blood of Christ in Jesus’ name.  And as Hebrews points out, this is a sacrifice that is everlasting, such that additional blood need not be shed for our atonement, as we are perpetually covered in Jesus’ name.  Knowing this, would you ever dare to approach God in prayer outside of Jesus’ name?  By His grace, the regenerated in Christ will never encounter that fearsome reality.  Instead, we come “boldy before the throne of grace” (Heb 4:16) in Jesus’ name.

At this point, we have come to a powerful comprehension of the meaning of praying in Jesus’ name.  Even still, there is more.  Who can search out the depth, height, and breadth of Jesus Christ?!  He is wonderful to comprehend in the slightest, and in that joy I seek to share with you through this post.  The final dimension amongst infinite dimensions that I seek to explore tonight is the powerful truth that coming to God in Jesus’ name means coming to Him in perfect submission.

Praying in the name of Jesus Christ can be very tangibly beheld in the Garden of Gethsemane:

Matt 26:39 – “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.””

Do we comprehend that praying in Jesus’ name, as the words leave our lips, is declaring to God that His will be done and not ours?  We do not comprehend it, nor do we experience its rich joy and blessing, because we do not mean it as we say it.  It is a rich joy and blessing because it is the life of Jesus Christ Himself inside of me, the life of perfect fulfillment of God’s glorious will, the life of nearness in the presence of God that cannot be revoked or destroyed by any thing, man, or supernatural being.  It is also protection, for quite often we ask the Lord for things that are not born of His desire…and anything not squarely born of His desire is riddled with evil and meant to harm us and those we love.  We are protected in Jesus’ name, such that our wills are submitted to God’s.  And the knowledge and comprehension of this power avails to us the experience of God’s presence more clearly and meaningfully as we pray and walk with Christ.  It is the source of deep transformation.  By Jesus’ name and the perfect submission that is carried through Him in our prayers, we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit in new ways that we could never know without receiving His will to transform ours.  Often we pray mighty sounding prayers in the hope of conforming God’s will to ours, certain of our prayers in Jesus’ name, not understanding that we have prayed against the will of God.  So be it, for God takes our fragile faith and misguided motives, convicts us, and sanctifies us.  However, if we do not move past that attitude in prayer, we miss out on the sweetness of being transformed by God through prayer.  Among the sweetest of promises of coming before our Father in deep intimate prayer in Jesus’ name is our being transformed by Him into His likeness.  There is perhaps no greater answer to prayer than being transformed into His likeness, except for beholding the presence of God as we are transformed.

Finally, after all of this revelation, all of this study of God’s Word, all of this teaching…I myself conclude by praying in Jesus’ name…and I am immediately convicted how small is my comprehension of what my lips utter.  If I could fully comprehend what I have just written above, I would fall to the ground in reverence of His name, and even then only glimpse His glory.  And so I pray that you would come to know Jesus Himself just a little bit more today, comprehending even slightly the power of Jesus’ name, praying the same desire for myself.  It is in Jesus’ name that I come boldly before the throne of grace, into the very presence of God Himself, and offer this prayer on behalf of you and me.  Amen.


For the entire "Pray It Through" series of posts, click here.

Relational Atmospheres: Is Yours Destructive or Constructive?

I feel that the Lord is teaching me more about relationships…with Him and with each other. One recent epiphany concerns things unsaid, undiscovered, hidden, whether purposefully or unintentionally. When considering relationships among humans or with our Father in Heaven, we typically focus on what is seen or known. We define relationship by what is…by what exists…I will call this a “positive” definition, in that it is fabricated from what is known (proof by its presence). However, a useful exercise as well as potentially the source of better definition, is considering “omission,” in that it is fabricated from what is not known or not present (proof by its absence). We know much of what our relationships with God and each other are supposed to contain. There are many more attributes to consider that I will not list here, but with our Savior, let’s limit our focus to faith, hope, and love…and principally love, since “the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).

1 Cor 13:4-7 – “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

In 1 Corinthians 13, we see love fairly well defined by positively present attributes, as well as the absence or omission of other attributes that are therefore the opposite of love.

Positive attributes that define godly love: Patience, kindness, rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love as defined by the absence of these attributes: envy, pride, rudeness, self-seeking, provokable, evil thinking, deception.

It’s interesting that equally as many proofs of love by positively present behaviors are highlighted as are proofs via behaviors that are absent. Thus, considering both what healthy relationship SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be is worthwhile.

Therefore today, I would like to issue a word of warning about the unseen in your relationships, for what is unseen is just as important as what is seen. What defines your relationship with our Lord? Is it something He has done for you? Is it something you have done for Him? Is it something that He has not done for you or that you have not done for Him? Or is it perhaps much deeper than that? More importantly, as you stand here today, what is still keeping you from a deeper relationship with your God? Search your heart and see. Likely, it will be something absent as much as anything present.

We are apt to call out sin in our lives as the answer to the question above, “What is still keeping you from a deeper relationship with your God?” We would be correct, for we know that sin is defined as the separation from a Holy God. However, perhaps it is something we are lacking in our relationship with the Lord that is actually leading us into temptation and sin. Perhaps the root of our sin isn’t anything present at all, but is instead something we’re lacking. An illustration to clarify what I am attempting to explore together:

As a chemical engineer, I know that it takes three things to cause an explosion: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Furthermore, the fuel and oxygen must be in the right proportions for the heat source to initiate the violent and destructive chemical reaction known as an explosion. In the manufacturing environment, great care is taken to understand the atmospheres where a heat source or potential spark could be present. As long as the fuel/oxygen content is outside the limits for which an explosion is possible, any heat source is manageable. On the other side of things, as long as there is no heat source, then any mixture is manageable. And of course, we seek to control each of these things in the event of an unexpected failure, in order to preserve the least likelihood of an explosion. Even still, industrial accidents happen.

You can relate this analogy to relationships of all kinds. Our natural interaction with others produces an atmosphere of the relationship (fuel and oxygen). Our experiences and wounds also help to produce this atmosphere. I think you’ll agree that there are those in our lives that produce an explosive atmosphere when we are together! Also, there are those that bring safety and security, eliminating explosive atmospheres. Furthermore, as much as we try to make everything smooth and control disturbances to our relationships, life will bring frequent heat sources into our relational atmospheres. This is a guarantee. It is good to avoid striking a match when we have detected an explosive atmosphere. In that situation, if we purposefully light off the explosion, we are responsible. However, there will be many times when something completely external to the relationship lights a match and we are left picking up the pieces. But the final situation that I want to consider is when we hold the match in our hand, either unknowingly, or knowingly but seemingly benignly because we have misestimated the atmosphere of our relationship.

Have you ever walked into a conversation with something new and exciting only to see the conversation immediately deteriorate into a full-blown confrontation (think of close relationships)? What happened? We mis-estimated the atmosphere. If you walk into a normal room with a match, it burns for a couple seconds and goes out. If you walk into a room standing next to an open container of gasoline, you might just get the shock of your life as the vapors ignite. The point is that the atmosphere dictates the outcome of the “match.” Often these “matches” are much more significant in our relationships. Perhaps you just lost your job or are considering a different location that would require your family to move. Perhaps you want to place your children in a different school or activity. Perhaps you’re considering a different church. Perhaps it is holiday planning. Whatever the specific “match,” the atmosphere of your relationships will determine the outcome in that relationship.

All this to say: take a survey of your relational atmospheres. Take a survey of the atmosphere in your relationship with friends, spouses, children. And if you do none of those, be sure to take a survey of your relational atmosphere with your Creator and Father God. When something unexpected comes up, do you find yourself angry with God or have feelings that God is angry with you? The problem is not the unexpected circumstance (the “match"); the problem is the relational atmosphere. What is being unsaid between you and your Father currently? I know that in my experience with human relationships, the unsaid has been the source of more issues than what is said. Communication is your atmospheric detector. Pray to the Lord your God and let the Holy Spirit search you out and convey to you the pitfalls in your current understanding of our perfect God. Let the Holy Spirit respond in your prayers to cultivate the atmosphere of love between you and your Savior. And as the next “match” is lit, you will find yourself and your relationship with God responding in an entirely different manner.

Finally, the things that cause an explosion to be dangerous and undesirable are the same things that have great value when utilized in the way they are designed. For instance, the right combination of the same fuel, oxygen, and heat source leads to heating your home. Furthermore, your vehicle’s engine is powered by many well-controlled “mini-explosions.” Therefore, even the fuel and the oxygen are not the problem, nor the “match,” but the ability to utilize them in a manner that is constructive instead of destructive. Likewise, every current circumstance, every past wound or experience, and every interaction with your Lord and Savior, can be redeemed and be the very thing that propels you forward with our Lord this very day. The critical element is the Holy Spirit within us who call Jesus Christ our Lord. Without Him, these very same circumstances and interactions will serve to destroy our lives and relationships, with our fellow-man and loved ones, as well as God. The Holy Spirit is the difference.

Romans 5:3-5 – “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

You will not be able to control the “matches” that ignite flames in your life. You will not be able to control the relational atmospheres in your life. Try as you might, and as well managed as your life may be at times, you will not be able to control these things. Explosions are coming in your relationships. What certainty do we have that we will even survive them, much less that they would be used for the good of all who are touched by them? Only in the Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit do we have hope…a hope that does not disappoint. I encourage you, whoever you are and whatever state your relationship with our God is in, seek Him today, invite Him to permeate your relationships, and trust Him to do the physically unattainable, and draw you closer to our one, holy, true God. Amen.

Do You Want to Be a Better Christian?

John 15:4-5 (Jesus speaking) – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

“Better Christian.” Likely, you have either said this phrase yourself or heard it many times from others. Today I was half listening to the radio when I heard the phrase, and it sent me into introspective thought.

There are many good follow-up questions, such as how do you become a better Christian? Or what does a better Christian life look like? But for now, I will focus more on the motivation and mindset of the desire to be a better Christian and suggest that when we consider relationships of any kind, with man or with God, we might start replacing the word “better” with “closer.” What if instead of becoming a better husband or wife, a better friend, a better mother or father, we pursued being closer to our spouse, a closer friend, or closer to our children or other family members? What if instead of becoming a better Christian, we pursued simply being closer to our Lord and knowing His character? What if instead of seeking to love better, we sought to love closer, more intimately? I believe this reset in perspective and pursuit will make all the difference in the world.

When we resolve ourselves to be better at something, the truth is that the focus lies squarely on ourselves. We may want to be better for someone else’s benefit, but at the core of our action is a focus on ourselves. Furthermore, in order to feel progress or success, we will have to be analytical and judge whether or not we are better. This leads to a lot of self-focus. However, if instead we refine that desire and replace it with the desire to be closer in any relationship, we will find our focus squarely on the other person. To be closer to someone is to know them better, to perceive their heart, to share what matters to them. As we do this, our eyes, desires, and actions will turn outward. This is true of human relationships, just as it is true of our relationship with our Father, Creator, and Savior God.

The root of the desire “to be a better Christian” can actually be very good. To desire to be a better Christian is often derived from a conviction of incompletion or separation from God. It is a recognition and admission that we need to be changed. It is a desire to live out our lives as Christ, yet a realization that we currently are not doing that well. These are sound convictions that the Holy Spirit works in and through. The twist comes when we begin to focus on ourselves and our shortcomings, desiring to be better, when in reality our truest and deepest desire is simply to be closer. Closer to our holy God, loving Savior, and trustworthy Counselor.

After all, what is the outcome of a life lived in the pursuit of being a better Christian? Or a better anything? I will affirm that learning discipline, especially in spiritual things, is quite good and right; but it is the underlying mindset and approach that I am seeking to divide joints and marrow, truth and error, with the scalpel of the Word (Heb 4:12). Take for instance the desire to be a better husband. This may be lived out in any of a number of tangible ways. Perhaps a man desires to be a better husband and begins to buy his wife flowers on a regular basis. Perhaps he gives other gifts, acts of service, gives his time, offers words of love, or seeks to embrace more often. Whatever he does, as he sets out to be a better husband, he will likely succeed…at least for a little while. But if the desire to be a “better husband” does not meet up with a desire to be a closer husband, closer to his wife, then these languages of love will soon grow dull and meaningless. Months later, dozens of bouquets given without thoughtfulness, acts of service done begrudgingly, time spent with other things preoccupying the mind, repetitive words spoken, embraces given as the new “more” routine…if none of these things are of the heart, they are meaningless. What good are any of these actions that represent our perception of a “better husband” without growing nearer in relationship with your spouse? The true reality is that if we start with the desire to grow closer, we will find ourselves being better. If we grow closer with loved ones, spouses, friends, family, even co-workers, bosses and subordinates, or the man on the street…if we seek to grow closer to the individual, as we do grow closer, we begin to care for them better. And just as this is true in human relationships, it is true in our relationship with God.

Have you ever tried to please someone without knowing them well? It can be very difficult. Have you ever tried to please God (be a better Christian) without knowing Him well? It can be very difficult. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). I will submit that without knowing God, it is impossible to have faith. For who has faith in something of which they know nothing about? Can I have faith that the sun will rise if I have no knowledge that it exists and no one has ever told me? Can I have faith that a light bulb will turn on if I’ve never known that it exists? Can I have faith that a seed will grow into a plant if I’ve never seen a plant or a seed, nor have I ever heard of such a thing? Ah, but upon hearing, I can begin to wonder. The power of revealing the truth of Christ to someone who does not know anything about Him! But to truly know our God, is to have faith. And to have faith, is to please our God. To please our God is, so to speak, to be a better Christian. Therefore, if our aim is to be better, our means is to know Him, to be closer to Him. And as we make that our aim and desire, our pursuit is no longer to be better afterall; yet, that is exactly what we become. When we grow closer to God, being “better” simply flows from the relationship. We must let go in order to apprehend. We must step back, to be brought forward. We must surrender in order to be set free. This is the way of our Lord, and how gracious is He to grant us the abundant blessing of knowing Him more closely.

If we set out to be better Christians, there exists a danger of our lives soon becoming all about works and less about faith. If our focus in on ourselves, we begin to strive to earn sanctification and even salvation through works. We did not start there…we were saved by grace and fully aware of it. We then desired to be changed and in our fleshly foolishness, sought to be better in order to get closer. But we have it backwards when we approach the Lord that way, for we can only be “better” by being closer, and being closer to our Lord is a far richer experience than any self-realization of being a “better Christian.”

Zech 13:9 - This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

Job 23:10 - But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

Oh to be refined in the refiner’s fire! For the dross to be burned away! To come forth as pure gold! Let us willingly come before our Refiner, and let our desires to be better Christians melt away, "setting our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). May we discard our pursuits of being better, and embrace the pursuit of being closer. May we do this in our marriages, our friendships, our families, our work environments, in everywhere we go. And may we do it unswervingly in an abiding relationship with our Father, Creator, Savior, Defender, Counselor God. Amen.

Seeking God's Face - Church in the Park Message

I had the honor of once again providing the sermon for Church in the Park in downtown Houston last Saturday. Church in the Park is an outdoor service for the homeless and is open to all passersby. This message is about seeking God's face, drawing heavily on 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 and Zechariah 3:1-4.

Idle Time –The Devil’s Playground or God’s? You Decide.

Eph 5:15-16 - “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

I’ve been challenged by something this week. As usual, when I feel a conviction or challenge and see that it is a good thing, I consider that it might be good for others, as well. Therefore, I am compelled to share. So I offer the following challenge as a gift. “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8) …then pass it on.

This week I have committed to a time of purposeful seeking of the Lord, due to various things in my life. Some very good things, but nevertheless, things that I need to be very near to the Lord through (but shouldn’t this be the case in all things at all times?). In such times, I have found that fasting is a wonderful prescription given by God to those who want to find intimate time with Him, to draw nearest to His face, His very character and being. However, fasting is not appropriate for me this week. I am on vacation with my father, as we take this time every year to enjoy Nascar together, and just spend quality time together in general. (Upon hearing “Nascar,” your view of me may be tainted forever. Yes, I enjoy Nascar very much…there, I’ve admitted it openly!)

This vacation is a time of celebration and a time of fellowship, and to be fasting would be placing myself in an “unequally yoked” position with my father for the weekend. You see, food is something that we share on this trip and it is an integral part. For me to fast from food would be to deprive my dad of a major joy of the trip—the meals that we savor and share. When asked why the disciples were not fasting, Jesus illustrated, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast” (Mark 2:19). Furthermore, Jesus illustrates in Matt 6 that a fast that is pleasing to the Lord is one done in secret…this would be impossible on my trip. Note: There is a time for fasting, and if God reached out and convicted you or me to do so, there would be no excuse good enough to resist Him, no matter how logical.

So I started asking the question this week, “How am I going to give God a special focus? What can I fast from? How can I ensure that I am devoting myself to Him?” The solution that came to mind was very simple and soon it grabbed a hold of me, leading me down the path of conviction that resulted to this blog post. I decided that I would try to replace “idle time” with two things: either prayer or reading the Bible, or both. I decided that step one would be to recognize “idle time,” which it turns out can be a difficult thing to do. I know that I myself have gotten so used to the technology age that I don’t even realize the amount of time I spend with email, that favorite app on the smartphone, seeking entertainment of other kinds, and most shameful of all…Facebook. (To think I was one of the last of my friends to cave in and get on Facebook…and now it is on my list of distractions.) My tone is somewhat facecious in my list of “idle time” distractions above, especially poking fun at Facebook. But at the same time, this is a legitimate concern, especially in the new technology age that is sweeping our cultures and particularly with the youth of today. Go to a public place and just observe the amount of people looking down at their smartphones, etc. I think you’ll find much greater than 50% of people you observe will have their noses buried in them. Of course, I myself do a lot of worthwhile and productive things on my smartphone, as many others do, too…in fact, it has been a blessing from God for increased productivity in my busy life. But at the same time, what if you and I decided to keep a record this coming week of our “idle activities?” Depending on personality, you might make a spreadsheet or you might just ballpark it by feeling at the end of the week. Whatever rigor your personality allows, what if we took a first step and just tried to identify the quantity of time we spend on such “idle” things?

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – 2 Cor 10:4-5

So this week, I have tried to “take captive every thought” a little more completely than I’ve ever tried before. I can tell you that I’ve had varied success at best. But the particular level of success is not my point. The point is that I actually have found myself in the Word and prayer more, and I am so thankful for it! Furthermore, I have discovered an opportunity to discard bad habits and in their place construct very good ones. Here was my conviction that led to this post: why is this week any different than others? Why does the attempt to find more and more time with God feel like something special? Shouldn’t that be the norm? Oh my…yes indeed, this should be the norm. What if I took this week and made it the norm going forward?

Think about someone that you care about more than anyone else. Think about someone that you want to spend time with more than anyone else this week. You know that you make time for that person, both because you like spending time with them and because they like spending time with you. Now think about God. What if He was that person every week? What if you desired God to the point that you wanted to spend every spare moment in communication with Him? What if we really loved God, such that time with Him was insatiable and we sought to spend more and more time with Him every week? What if we desired to spend time with Him to the point that we saw every “idle” moment as an opportunity to pray or open the Bible? How might that change our lives? I know it would be a shift in my priorities and I know with 100% certainty that God would bless it.

And that’s just it: priorities. Do your actions and time allocation show God as your number 1 priority? Mine don’t. I might have thought that it did…that is, until a week where I am purposefully filling every opportunistic moment with prayer and Bible study feels special. If that is the exception, then by definition it is not my normal behavior or priority. Though I may be growing in desire for the Lord, which bears fruit of time in the Word and prayer, my “idle” moments show where my priorities lie…and that means that sometimes that smartphone or Facebook or entertainment is a higher priority than God Himself to me. This is convicting. Are you as guilty as me in this?

Let me make a quick note that I don’t believe the most appropriate response to this conviction is to throw out all of our electronics, renounce all entertainment, and lock ourselves in our homes with just a Bible and a water supply. I’m amused at the exaggeration, but my point is that it is just fine to seek times of rest (in fact, rest is an important command from God for us, as well as a blessing) and occasional entertainment. Facebook itself can be a tool for the Lord, and even the silliness of the status update that reads, “Florida is awesome!” is not at all a bad thing in itself. It’s ok to spend some time texting or playing that favorite game on the smartphone occasionally. It’s ok to have a Facebook account. My point is that we can all take stock of our time allocations and at least become purposeful in our time budget decisions. This is something that I think the Lord will bless and replace a heart of stone with a heart of flesh, and with it place in us the desire to spend more “idle” time with Him (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:15-16)

Using these aforementioned things is one way that we can make “the best use of the time,” the technology age, and glorify the Lord. But to do so, we will have to watch our time and habits closely.

I encourage you to take a couple minutes to do the following exercise. Make a priority list. Start with God and work down from there. List general things, such as family, friends, work…and list specific things (maybe as subcategories) like pro baseball games, running, eating/cooking, and even Facebook. Now, after you’ve made this list, take notes on your time allocation to these things in the next week. I know that much of our time is obligation based, such as a job, but nevertheless, take note of it all. After doing that for a week, list your activities in order of time allocation—highest to lowest. This is your priority list, whether you like it or not. If work is 50 hours per week, perhaps that is right where God wants it to be. But if Facebook is 10 hours per week, perhaps that is not right where God wants it to be. The point of the exercise isn’t to analyze that we’re spending a lot of time sleeping and at work—of course we are, as God seems to have designed us that way. The point is to find those activities that have no place being so high on our list (i.e. “idle time” activities), as well as to identify those activities that have slipped way down our priority list. How much time did you or I spend in the Bible or prayer this week? Where does that fall out on our priority list? I just thought of this excerise and therefore haven’t yet been able to carry it out in my own life, but I’m sure I would be embarrassed to share the results. But guess what—this is our starting point, not our finish line.

Will you step up and take the challenge with me going forward? I write this conviction to you not as one who has conquered it, but as someone who struggles with you. I desire that we would both begin to “take every thought captive,” become aware of our “idle time” habits, and seek to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, sacrificing the selves that we have become, and building up new habits for the Lord. New habits that God will love…new habits that we will love! New habits that will absolutely produce fruit, both in us and in those around us. I am convinced that God has absolutely zero “idle time”—He is working in all things at all times. Therefore, I am confident that God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine with an offering such as this (Eph 3:20). My prayer is that you are spurred onward into a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through such a commitment. May God’s presence amaze you this week and draw you into more quantity and quality time with Him. Amen.

Pray It Through - Changing God's Mind?

I had a very theologically stimulating conversation with a close friend the other night. We were discussing the purpose of prayer and its results. The concept of “changing God’s mind” was brought forth. Through study of some books by prestigious theologians, he was leaning toward the side that says “prayer can actually change God’s mind and change world events.” At the beginning of the conversation, my reply was that prayer absolutely changes world events—but does that take place because God truly changed His mind or because we took the action that allowed the realization of His greatest will, instead of disobedience? I did not know the answer to these questions, and I still may not, but I feel that my understanding has grown towards the revelation of these answers and I would like to encourage you to engage in your own Spirit-led thoughts as you consider mine below.

“God changed His mind” In the Bible

Consider Moses. We read the following in Exodus 32:19-14, in response to the Israelites' construction of the golden calf, an offense punishable by death:

“'I have seen these people,’ the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “O LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” (NIV)

The word “relent” in verse 14 is translated in a minority of English texts as “changed His mind.” The Hebrew word here is “nacham,” in the Niphal tense, which blueletterbible.com defines as follows:

נָחַם (nacham)

1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted

a) (Niphal)

1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion

2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent

3) to comfort oneself, be comforted

4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself

(Note: When you read “changed His mind” in the NLT, NAS, or other version, “nacham” is likely the original language.)

So we see that God was moved to compassion by Moses’ intercession and it did absolutely change what would have occurred, had the intercession not taken place. But did God’s mind change, or was His preferred will for Moses to step up as an intercessor fulfilled by Moses’ prayer? Perhaps the jury is still out in this discussion, but I find the explanation offered in the previous sentences to line up much more harmoniously with the rest of the Bible than the belief that God actually did any changing of His mind, at least in the way that we experience the changing of our own minds—which is to be persuaded unto different thought or action. Was God persuaded here or had He already willed this and honored a prayer within His will?

Practical Importance of the Matter

As my conversation with my friend continued, we began to realize a few things: that our minds were not entirely made up and were open to further “proof” that may be brought forth, that in this moment we differed in our opinions, and most importantly that we absolutely agreed upon the following things: Regardless of whether God is actually changing His mind, it doesn’t alter the fact that prayer works—things in this world change because of and in response to our prayers. The overarching point became less about why God honors prayer (changing His mind or otherwise) but that the answer to that question does not dictate whether or not I pray—we pray because of the following:

1. It brings me closer to God in a loving relationship, and that would be sufficient enough reason to pray even if it availed no impact on the world.

2. When we pray, it does change things.

Addressing point #2 above: When we pray, it does change things.

However, let me very quickly point out that I don’t believe a correct attitude in prayer is to convince God of anything, or to persuade Him. This is hard to grasp because in our interaction with humans, when we speak passionately about something, we perceive the opportunity to spread our point of view, whether by enlightenment, argument, conviction, or otherwise. Even those of us who are the least logical-minded, when we converse, we understand the necessity of satisfying another individual with our words such that our point of view or our desires are accepted and even chosen. So when we pray to a sovereign, holy, all-powerful God, we tend to approach Him in the same way. He understands that—He made us. Nevertheless, do you really want to project your imperfect thoughts and plans onto a perfect God such that they come to fruition? Any thoughts that we have are either in error, whether completely or just slightly, or they are born of God and are perfect. Therefore, we cannot convince Him or bring a plan to Him that is any better than the one He already prefers. We can only come in agreement, be strengthened in our concurrence, and be empowered to go and live out the purpose that God prefers. In that moment, we have taken part in an important transaction that God allows through free-will…and life events change.

Human Observation and Understanding of Cause and Effect

To illustrate our human view of prayer and events versus God’s perspective, consider a car on the street of a highly populated city. We have the view of the driver of the car. We see the immediate landscape in front of us and have a general sense of where we might like to go and how it might be best to get there. God, however, is above the city in something such as a blimp, seeing your very car, where He desires you to go, and the best way to get there. We often go long periods trying to navigate on our own intuition, following the same mistakes of men before us and around us from whom we have learned worldly wisdom. One day, we realize we have a GPS, or a phone line to the overhead blimp (prayer). We ask the GPS or blimp (God) to help us with the direction or to get to a specific destination. What we observe is that our asking led to a change: turn here, go there, the light turned green or another red light. Even when we recognize His hand guiding us, we might be tempted to say in our limited point of view that our prayer actually changed those things and even changed the mind of God. But in reality, God already saw all and knew all, and He would not have guided you in a way that was not within His will. Therefore, we were right that our prayers changed things—we received the right direction as a result of contacting Him. But we were probably wrong in thinking that our prayer actually changed the mind of God—instead, it merely allowed us to interact with God such that His desires were fulfilled, in a way that they weren’t fulfilled apart from our prayer. How important that prayer was! Even if in the beginning we were asking to go 180 degrees opposite of His will. Because when we began to realize the general direction He was guiding us and we continued to pray for direction and for change, we began to walk within His will. None of this would have happened without the prayer.

So prayer is absolutely necessary and vital to God’s will, but it does not change it. I encourage and implore you: pray any matter on your heart to God continually until your heart has been changed or the thing comes to fruition, being open to either, having faith in God and His perfect love. In either case, through prayer, God’s will has been realized.

The Product of Free-Will

Another amazing part of this discussion is the fact that we get to take part in such things and are given free-will. Free-will allows us to make choices. If we have the ability to choose God, then we have the ability to reject Him. There is not one possibility without the other. The possibility of rejecting God opens the door to the amazing relationship of choosing Him—and this is love (agape)! God is sovereign and ruler of all. And in that sovereignty, He by all means has the right to make the choice to limit His control and allow free-will. Please do not misinterpret my words and call this a heresy. This makes God no less sovereign—in fact, it puts an exclamation point on His sovereignty, coupled with His patience and love—that He would purposefully step back ever so slightly from controlling all decisions and actions at all times, such that we would have the capacity to make choices…and in that, have the capacity to love. Otherwise, we are just robots. But since God is love (1 John 4:8), then God is a choice-maker. And by making us in His image, He has made us choice-makers capable of love. This is His design and He looks at this creation and calls it good (Gen 1:31).

So when the world hangs in the balance—our individual worlds or the entire earth—consider prayer. Pray the matter through to completion, knowing that your prayer does matter. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b). This is because it aligns us with God. This is because it changes our hearts. This is because God willingly gives us this power of Himself to choose and make changes in this world. This is because the angels respond to the word of God and the righteous prayers of His saints. This is because of the power and value God gives an intercessor.

God’s Design: Intercessor

Isaiah 59:15b-16: “Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice. ¹⁶ He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.”

God has an almost peculiar affinity to intercession. We read in Isaiah that God “wondered that there was no intercessor” to plead the case of the terribly sinful Israelites, such that they might be spared the punishment and wrath of God. If the presence of an intercessor didn’t matter, the role would not have been mentioned. In the example of Moses and his prayers (discussions with God), he was the sole intercessor and God honored that.

To God and to us, an intercessor means everything. This is because the ultimate prophecy of Isaiah 59 is Jesus Christ as the ultimate intercessor to our Father in Heaven, such that we might be spared His wrath and instead receive eternal life (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, 1 John 2:1). The reason that John 3:16 is true—that through the love of God and by belief in Jesus we can be spared eternal death and instead have eternal life—is because when we call on Jesus for who He is, He intercedes to the Father on our behalf. In doing so, we are imparted the Holy Spirit, who cries out “Abba, Father” for us (Gal 4:6-7). If instead in the last day, Jesus says, “Depart from me, I never knew you,” we are damned because of our sin and the lack of righteous intercession (Matt 7:21-23).

So we see that a great component of the power of prayer is God’s value of intercession. In intercession, we agree with Christ for simultaneous grace and justice—a favorable outcome for us through Christ alone—and He responds in a very real way. He responds in eternally saving those interceded for, and He even responds by changing physical circumstances in the lives of those for whom intercession has been made. All within His will, of course. If in my human emotion of anger, I was so zealous to call fire from Heaven down upon the man who just cut me off on the highway, I highly doubt that God would honor that request. If God is pursuing that driver to be His child, then I just prayed outside His will and the Holy Spirit is grieved by that disharmony (Eph 4:30-32). But if instead I pray in sincerity that my co-worker who denies Christ would be saved by faith, and I pray in fervent faith, I know that the Lord will honor that prayer. Simply because God responds to holy intercession, none greater than Christ Jesus.

Conclusions

Whether or not you subscribe to the theory that “God changes His mind,” it becomes a little less relevant and doesn’t change these facts: Prayer does change specific physical things on this earth that are within God’s will. These physical things are changed because of their spiritual impact. Why this is true can likely be summed up by God’s gift of free-will and our capacity to choose and love Him, as well as each other. We should pray to seek God’s face (intimacy, seeking Him for Him alone) and not just His hands, and in a deep relationship, that would be enough. But beyond that, God desires that we are empowered and approach Him with confidence, knowing that He responds to our prayers and changes the world through us for His glory. I challenge you therefore, to approach prayer with the following motives:

1. Seeking God’s face (intimate relationship of knowing Him for the sake of knowing Him alone)

2. As a natural outflow of your love for Him

3. As an intercessor for your fellow man and God’s glory

4. As a subordinate to a sovereign God who has given you this responsibility and privilege

5. To test your desires and be transformed

6. To alter the world forever, making change for God’s preferred will and glory

What would the world look like if we all stepped up with these attitudes in sincere prayer? I don’t know fully, but I do know that it would look differently, for the better, and for God’s glory. I’m making a recommitment to prayer with full confidence of God’s power through it. I’m making a recommitment to prayer to bask in the full loving relationship with a loving God. Will you join me, be changed for good forever, and change this world for good forever? It is my prayer that you do. Amen.

Relationship with God - Church in the Park Message

I had the pure joy and privilege of speaking the message at Church in the Park in Houston, TX this weekend. This ministry seeks to bring Christ to the homeless in downtown Houston, providing worship music, a Bible-based message, and breakfast for all who attend. It is held outdoors in a park right off of downtown.

The experience was amazing. Of course, being given the honor of speaking a sermon was very exciting, but the one-on-one conversations and prayers were most enjoyable. You can listen to the 20-min message by watching the video below. The topic is Relationship with God, with a focus on being children, servants, and friends with God. The Prodigal Son is studied as an example of this relationship. I hope the Lord uses it for good in your life this very day:

(Follow-up post about an amazing story of God working behind the scenes and through Church in the Park that morning: "My Work" vs. the Holy Spirit)

The Power of Redemption - Part 2 - Rejecting Complacency

Excerpt from "The Power of Redemption - Part 1" -

"Redemption is the reclaiming as good, something that was bad. It is a reversal in esteem...

...Christ is our Savior first, and also our Redeemer. This means that once we have sinned and departed from His path, He not only saves us from Hell, but He restores us to right relationship with Him. The paths our lives take from that moment onward suddenly have purpose that they didn’t have without Him. And remarkably, the consequences that flow from our now blotted out sins become the very things that glorify God...

...When I trace it all back, every cause and effect as seen by the human eye, I marvel at the power of an amazing attribute of our God—Redeemer. Only by His redeeming power could my life be this rich, this joyous. Only by His redeeming power could my relationship with Him be stronger and fuller. Only by His redeeming power do I now call this my “plan A life!” Not that sin was the right approach—it caused years of pain!—but God is both sovereign and redeeming for those who love Him. Through Christ and Christ alone do I look back with thankfulness, live in present joy, and look forward with eagerness to a life held in the power of redemption." (read full post)

I am aware that some will respond to the news of redemption in the following way: “Well, then what do I care if I sin—it brings glory to God anyway. I might sin all the more so that God can be glorified even more. It sounds like you’re saying that it doesn’t matter if I sin or not.” Paul dealt with this attitude in Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”

Look at your thoughts! Do you respond to this realization of redemption by justifying your own sins? Where is your pursuit of righteousness, where is your pursuit of a God who is pursuing you? Where is your desire to be His pleasing servant? Where is your right relationship with Him? Where is your love of God who loved enough to send His Son to die on our behalf while we were still sinners? (Rom 5:8) The response of a person in relationship with Jesus to the marvel of redemption is pure thanksgiving and even greater resolve to follow Him closer than ever…not to accept sinning…but to marvel at our sinful pasts, yet redeemed presents, and look forward to never departing from our Savior and God again, knowing that if we do fall, He will redeem us…but we never want to be separated from Him again.

If God can redeem us after we’ve sinned, how much more will we be squarely in His love, delight Him, and be delighted by Him if we remain in Him and refuse to sin?! If redeemed life with Christ is this good, then why ever willingly leave Him again? A child of God has the comfort that he is never beyond the grasp of his Savior and Redeemer, so he no longer fears eternal death from sin. But we should not be complacent because of this knowledge—we should be even more resolved to refrain from sin, such that the pain and sorrow in the midst of redemption must not be suffered by the sinner or God Himself.

Have you seen the effects of sin in your life? Let’s not downplay it—there are terrible effects of our sin. I suspect that you know these effects as well as I do. The grieving that comes in the wake of our sin is expected and is even right and holy, for the Holy Spirit is grieved by our rebellion (Eph 4:30). We are in tune with God when we grieve our sin. That MUST happen—it is the natural consequence in the life of a child of God who as sinned. Thoughts of redemption should never ease the grieving of our sin immediately upon conviction—grieving of the sin itself, not grieving our circumstances, a key difference. Grieve your sin until you can produce no more tears…no grief can sufficiently capture the terror and plight of a human separated from God by sin. But on the other side of it, when God heals your heart and the pain begins to subside, I encourage you to step boldly into the life of redemption. Step up into your place as the redeemed child of God. Look at your circumstances and your new life path and no longer lament it as your doomed or fated path as a consequence of sin—but look at it with new eyes—eyes that see God’s power. God’s power that overcomes the sins of man and makes your new circumstances the things that bring Him glory and you joy. I pray that wherever you are, you come to Jesus right now. If you have just realized your sin, I pray that you ask for Him and His Spirit convicts you of sin, such that your mourn. Because on the other side of that mourning is a renewed relationship with a God who is called Our Healer.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt 5:4)

“God heals the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 147:3)

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

It sounds morbid and cruel to wish mourning upon someone, but realize that if we don’t mourn and are not heartbroken, then we will not be comforted and healed. Once you experience His healing and comfort, I pray that you come to the full knowledge of a redeeming God and begin to marvel at the joy that He places in you. I pray that you begin to marvel at how He takes a circumstance once seen as bad and makes it so glorious for His namesake. I pray that this deepens your love and thanksgiving for your loving God. Forever. Amen.