dont look back

"Suppose someone asked me, when I see a man in blue uniform going down the street leaving little paper packets at each house, why I suppose that they contain letters? I should reply, ‘Because when ever he leaves a similar little packet for me I find it does contain a letter.’ And if he then objected—’But you’ve never seen all these letters which you think the other people are getting,’ I should say, ‘Of course not, and I shouldn’t expect to, because they’re not addressed to me. I’m explaining the packets I’m not allowed to open by the ones I am allowed to open.’ It is the same about this question. The only packet I am allowed to open is Man. When I do, especially when I open that particular man called Myself, I find that I do not exist on my own, that I am under a law; that somebody or something wants me to behave in a certain way. I do not, of course, think that if I could get inside a stone or a tree I should find exactly the same thing, just as I do not think all the other people in the street get the same letters as I do. I should expect, for instance, to find that the stone had to obey the law of gravity—that whereas the sender of the letters merely tells me to obey the law of my human nature, he compels the stone to obey the laws of its stony nature. But I should expect to find that there was, so to speak, a sender of letters in both cases, a Power behind the facts, a Director, a Guide."

If I examine my "mail" I see plenty of doubts, fears, and trust issues. Beating myself up... So I want to encourage your "packets." Continue to seek Jesus' Kingdom first. Continue to die to yourself. You're doing great.

Luke 9
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Purity and fruitfulness

I read an article entitled "The dangers of 'Fruitfulness' without Purity" today by a guy from Lausanne ministries named Michael Oh. It was really rich and encouraging, as purity remains a fierce battle in my life and the lives of many around me who are beginning to see fruits in female relationship, marriages, ministries, careers, and other endeavors.

"Winning or losing the heart battles over confession, repentance, and humility is the difference between those who end well and those who do not. Why hypocrisy often wins the day is, I believe, because leaders learn the possibility of being “fruitful” without being pure. . .The scary reality is that most of these seemingly blessed and fruitful ministries led by morally compromising leaders will never be brought to light on earth. Many lives are “successfully” lived and many ministries are “successfully” operated apart from a vital relationship with and properly desperate dependence upon Jesus Christ. This is the great scandal of Christian leadership; this is what leaders should fear."

I love you guys and look forward to seeing (some of) you this weekend!

Worship in Spirit and Truth

I think this has been a building realization in my life, especially this year, and today as I was reminded by Wayne Grudem how powerful and accessible is the spiritual reality in which we live, particularly during Worship.

Let me explain. Study Genesis, Exodus, (I skipped Leviticus), Deuteronomy. Being in the Lord's presence is something not to be taken lightly, in fact, after looking at all of the preparations for simply building the tabernacle, much less proper worship within it, brings you to a truly AWE-some realization of the intense sanctity and holiness of our God. The fact that we can approach and dwell within the Holy of Holies (as we rely upon Christ) is astounding once you look at the requirements of the high priest every year just to come to that moment. It was not done lackadaisically or in some ho-hum attitude, for meeting with the Holy God was a fearful and awe-inspiring experience.  (oh and at the end of 2 Sam, some dude accidentally touches the Ark. Bam. Dead!)

Now, if we live in the reality that Christ has torn the veil to the holy of holies, and we have direct access to God and we can stand before God in Christ's righteousness alone....what is that experience like when we come to worship!? What is the spiritual reality of those moments meeting with God?

Wayne points out the following after quoting this passage from Hebrews 12 (pg 1008. Systematic Theology. Chapter 51 "Worship")

Heb. 12:18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[c] 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”[d]

 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

This is the reality of new covenant worship: it actually is worship in the presence of God, though we do not now see him with our physical eyes, nor do we see the angels gathered around his throne or the spirits of believers who have gone before and are now worshiping in God's presence. But it is all there, and it is all real, more real and more permanent than the physical creation that we see around us, which will someday be destroyed in the final judgment. And if we believe Scripture to be true, then we must also believe it to be actually true that we ourselves come to that place and join our voices with those already worshiping in heaven whenever we come to God in worship. Our only appropriate response is this: "Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28 - 29).

I am excited and challenged by this, that as I begin to worship, living in this time of “already, but not yet” we join the angels around his throne worshiping in God's presence in the true realization of the reality we live in Christ. So lets offer acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Its one heaven of a party up there. Lets join in whoppaheads.