From Brendon: I've discovered that I try to behold, really try, by gritting my teeth and closing my eyes really hard so I can try and see more of Jesus, but it turns out all I am doing is gritting my teeth and closing my eyes hard. No beholding is happening. I'm still trying to figure this out. However, I have a feeling its easy to stare at and behold Jesus. Maybe it's as simple as reading His word, meditation, prayer and worship.
This is how people become like Jesus. This is how the saints throughout history have drawn close to Him. It's no different from the Apostles to the children. Looking at Jesus, gazing upon the throne. To paraphrase 1 John 3:2, "When you see Him, you will be like Him."
Maybe feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, building homes in Mexico for those who didn't have one and giving away money doesn't make us more like Jesus. Without a doubt we can learn his heart and SHOULD be His hands and feet by doing these things, but until we behold Him and create a lifestyle of beholding Him, just wanting to see more of Jesus (because when we see Jesus we see the Father, John 14:9) then we'll never do these good deeds out of an overflow of love, but rather out of a sense of duty or because we find it personally satisfying. "If I have not love..." then these things, for these reasons, are just noise, clanging cymbals. Service must come from an overflow, which we can only receive from Him. Jesus has given us the ultimate tool in the Holy Spirit to help us behold Him through prayer, worship, His word and fasting. When we do these from love we are also able to move in power and boldness to effectively move the Kingdom forward.
We cannot muster revelation of Jesus, we receive it. It's easy to not do this, even when everyone around you talks about Him, sings about Him, and makes Him their lifestyle. We are a people prone to do good works and call them the better or greatest work. King David, with all his riches and authority had it right when he said, "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." Ps. 27:4
This is all in order to accomplish in our lives the greatest commandment. "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength." We seek to love Him this way, because it is the way He loves us, and makes us like Him.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
"10 Weeks To A Softened Heart" And Then Some...
From Kara: We are now in our 10th week of our internship and time has flown by! We only have two more weeks to go before we are finished with track one. The Lord has shown me so much of Who He is and has greatly expanded my view of His heart, the heart for His people, and the end times. But even yet, I still feel like we've only begun. So, after much prayer, Brendon and I have felt lead to continue our internship with International House of Prayer to participate in their second track. This track will take us into mid December and we will celebrate Christmas with the Wiksell side before heading back for good to ol' Vancouver. However, as always, the Lord is free to change our plans to His desire.
This past week, the Lord used an amazing teaching by Matt Candler titled "Introduction to Intimacy with God" to stoke the flame of my heart to drawing near to Him. It also helped put a finger on why there have been many times in my Christian walk when I have felt restless, unsatisfied, frustrated, and bored. This was a two part teaching where he and his wife Dana tag-teamed the topic of intimacy with God and further understanding the heart of Jesus as Bridegroom towards his Bride the Church. (The following has been borrowed from his notes).
Matt presented the idea that the greatest crisis of our day in the church is found in the depth (or lack) of relationship with Jesus; that much of the church's activities, organizations, and focuses are often shallow, hollow, and void of the true intimacy of a REAL and PERSONAL relationship with our Savior. Matt stated that there are three interrelated facets in cultivating this intimacy: 1) His invitation to us 2) Substance found in relational knowledge 3) Overflow of this knowledge in love, communion, and pleasure with Him. His main thesis was that Jesus is a person/identity who is to be known relationally which can only be in attaining knowledge of him. This knowledge, however, is not purely academic/cognitive, but experientially based out of the foundation of love that draws us to deeper degrees of understanding and desire for Him. Matt stated the following:
"When applied to intimacy with God, the substance of knowledge is found IN THE FACE OF CHRIST (2 Cor. 4:6) and brought INTO A RELATIONAL CONTEXT THROUGH PRAYER."
"The treasure of the knowledge of God is not a question of purchasing the right teaching series, attending a certain service, living a particular place, experiencing a vision, or finding a specific book. Scripture makes it very clear that the height of God's self-disclosure (revelation) is found in beholding the Godman, Jesus."
"In the this light of the pandemic of burn-out and disillusionment within the body of Christ becomes less enigmatic. One can invest themselves with great fervor in religious activities but their spiritual growth will be stunted and their heart unsatisfied if their pursuit is not an overtly relational one centered on the man Christ Jesus."
Wow. I've felt that! Burnout, religious activity (thinking I was doing an activity because I loved the Lord only to truly be doing it to please man and to gain approval from God), disappointment, becoming jaded, and bored. I have tried numerous things, as well, to beat all of the above. And really, my heart's true desire is to come into intimacy with JESUS in "prayerful, adoring study of the person and work of Christ within the context of obedience." (Matt Candler).
After being a Christian for almost 20 years and hearing multiple teachings and right words of truth devoted to topics similar to this, I felt like this one actually sank a little deeper than the rest. Perhaps the Lord needed these past 10 weeks to soften the soil of my heart in order to make it go deeper this time. I hope it goes deeper still.
This past week, the Lord used an amazing teaching by Matt Candler titled "Introduction to Intimacy with God" to stoke the flame of my heart to drawing near to Him. It also helped put a finger on why there have been many times in my Christian walk when I have felt restless, unsatisfied, frustrated, and bored. This was a two part teaching where he and his wife Dana tag-teamed the topic of intimacy with God and further understanding the heart of Jesus as Bridegroom towards his Bride the Church. (The following has been borrowed from his notes).
Matt presented the idea that the greatest crisis of our day in the church is found in the depth (or lack) of relationship with Jesus; that much of the church's activities, organizations, and focuses are often shallow, hollow, and void of the true intimacy of a REAL and PERSONAL relationship with our Savior. Matt stated that there are three interrelated facets in cultivating this intimacy: 1) His invitation to us 2) Substance found in relational knowledge 3) Overflow of this knowledge in love, communion, and pleasure with Him. His main thesis was that Jesus is a person/identity who is to be known relationally which can only be in attaining knowledge of him. This knowledge, however, is not purely academic/cognitive, but experientially based out of the foundation of love that draws us to deeper degrees of understanding and desire for Him. Matt stated the following:
"When applied to intimacy with God, the substance of knowledge is found IN THE FACE OF CHRIST (2 Cor. 4:6) and brought INTO A RELATIONAL CONTEXT THROUGH PRAYER."
"The treasure of the knowledge of God is not a question of purchasing the right teaching series, attending a certain service, living a particular place, experiencing a vision, or finding a specific book. Scripture makes it very clear that the height of God's self-disclosure (revelation) is found in beholding the Godman, Jesus."
"In the this light of the pandemic of burn-out and disillusionment within the body of Christ becomes less enigmatic. One can invest themselves with great fervor in religious activities but their spiritual growth will be stunted and their heart unsatisfied if their pursuit is not an overtly relational one centered on the man Christ Jesus."
Wow. I've felt that! Burnout, religious activity (thinking I was doing an activity because I loved the Lord only to truly be doing it to please man and to gain approval from God), disappointment, becoming jaded, and bored. I have tried numerous things, as well, to beat all of the above. And really, my heart's true desire is to come into intimacy with JESUS in "prayerful, adoring study of the person and work of Christ within the context of obedience." (Matt Candler).
After being a Christian for almost 20 years and hearing multiple teachings and right words of truth devoted to topics similar to this, I felt like this one actually sank a little deeper than the rest. Perhaps the Lord needed these past 10 weeks to soften the soil of my heart in order to make it go deeper this time. I hope it goes deeper still.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wedding Day
From Kara: We've taken a break from writing these past few weeks as we were privileged to go back home to spend time with friends and family. Among the reasons for the trekking back to the Northwest, was for one of our dearest and "bestest" friend's, Kirsten Palm (now Lalor!), marriage covenant to Brian!
The wedding was beautiful, Kirsten was even more beautiful, but the most beautiful thing was to witness Kirsten and Brian's love for each other and the faithfulness of Jesus in the midst of this union. This couple LOVES the Lord and will undoubtedly be greatly used in the Kingdom for the Lord's purposes.
Talking with Kirsten the last couple weeks before the wedding, I was able to see her longing, excitement, and hope not only for the upcoming ceremony, but for a life built together in unity as one. Before Kirsten and Brian met, we had been praying steadily for a husband that would come to Kirsten who loves that Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. (One with an Irish accent would not be too bad either, Lord.) We knew he was out there, just not sure when or how! Ah, the Lord is faithful!
As we're back in the prayer room, a continued theme for all those who are familiar with IHOP is the Bridal Paradigm, in the sense that we as the church are the Bride of Jesus and he will come again and we will be united, fully One, one day. Jesus loves and pursues us as his beloved. This is something that the Lord has been trying to teach me, that I am fully loved and LIKED by God! This unwinding identity has helped to fuel a greater longing and endurance to pray and to be excited to sit before his feet and seek to listen what he wants to reveal. I know that he is coming and I know that he who began this good work will be faithful to complete it when he comes again. I'm not sure when, I know a little bit about how, and I know fully he will come and he desires to partner with us to let his Kingdom come. I wait for that day with great longing, excitement, and hope!
A prayer I've been seeking to meditate on: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Eph. 3:16-19). And if we pray this we can be sure he will hear and answer!
(So, Kirsten and Brian, this is my prayer for you as you begin this new and exciting journey as husband and wife (and all you reading as well!). Brian, I am blessed to have you as a brother in the Lord and I am confident that you will love Kirsten as Jesus loves the church. Kirsten, you are a beautiful, amazing, tender, gracious, merciful, faithful, loyal, and graceful woman. I am so blessed to call you friend!)
May we wait with eager longing and great expectation for the day of being united with our Beloved. Let's get ready! We have a wedding to attend.
The wedding was beautiful, Kirsten was even more beautiful, but the most beautiful thing was to witness Kirsten and Brian's love for each other and the faithfulness of Jesus in the midst of this union. This couple LOVES the Lord and will undoubtedly be greatly used in the Kingdom for the Lord's purposes.
Talking with Kirsten the last couple weeks before the wedding, I was able to see her longing, excitement, and hope not only for the upcoming ceremony, but for a life built together in unity as one. Before Kirsten and Brian met, we had been praying steadily for a husband that would come to Kirsten who loves that Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. (One with an Irish accent would not be too bad either, Lord.) We knew he was out there, just not sure when or how! Ah, the Lord is faithful!
As we're back in the prayer room, a continued theme for all those who are familiar with IHOP is the Bridal Paradigm, in the sense that we as the church are the Bride of Jesus and he will come again and we will be united, fully One, one day. Jesus loves and pursues us as his beloved. This is something that the Lord has been trying to teach me, that I am fully loved and LIKED by God! This unwinding identity has helped to fuel a greater longing and endurance to pray and to be excited to sit before his feet and seek to listen what he wants to reveal. I know that he is coming and I know that he who began this good work will be faithful to complete it when he comes again. I'm not sure when, I know a little bit about how, and I know fully he will come and he desires to partner with us to let his Kingdom come. I wait for that day with great longing, excitement, and hope!
A prayer I've been seeking to meditate on: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Eph. 3:16-19). And if we pray this we can be sure he will hear and answer!
(So, Kirsten and Brian, this is my prayer for you as you begin this new and exciting journey as husband and wife (and all you reading as well!). Brian, I am blessed to have you as a brother in the Lord and I am confident that you will love Kirsten as Jesus loves the church. Kirsten, you are a beautiful, amazing, tender, gracious, merciful, faithful, loyal, and graceful woman. I am so blessed to call you friend!)
May we wait with eager longing and great expectation for the day of being united with our Beloved. Let's get ready! We have a wedding to attend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)