From Brendon: Deep within my heart has resided a vast error. It was hidden so deep that I was unaware of it until recently and at times still not convinced it even exists. The error is my misunderstanding of the Kingdom of Heaven and how I have been responding to it. Let me break this down a bit. I believe the Kingdom of Heaven, or Kingdom of God, has come to Earth. My response to this has been in error. In many ways I felt that because I believed this and am walking in the grace of God and following Jesus with sincerity, it gave me license to live as I chose and do, for the most part, what I wanted and especially with MY money. Never did I feel or view Biblically that I was allowed to enter into gross sin or rebel, but it was much more subtle than that. Much much more subtle. While reading through Matthew the Holy Spirit spoke to me through a parable for a couple of days, and even though my reading has moved on, my mind and heart continue to meditate on this very short story. Here's that parable:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44
In one sense my old thinking was correct. God is not asking me to sell ALL I own and live in poverty for the Kingdom of Heaven. However, this was not my error. My error was diminishing the true value and worth of the Kingdom of Heaven. By giving my life an honest look I saw how I valued my possessions, money, time, energy, etc. as having more worth than Jesus. He MUST be seen as worthy, completely and perfectly worthy of all of me. Just as the man who bought the field knew it was of greater worth than all his possessions. This includes my possessions, money, time, energy, etc. Do I see God's kingdom as great treasure? Or do I see it mixed in as another one of my possessions?
I pray that I see what God is offering me, if I would only be willing to give up all of myself, including my very life. All of my stuff and my worth traded for all of God's Kingdom and His worth? Sounds obvious now.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Two Visions
From Brendon:
VISION #1
I saw a ship headed for shore on a stormy night. Waves crashing against the rocky coast. The ship's captain, crew and passengers were unaware how close they were to danger due to the lighthouse not working properly. Without the lighthouse working properly there was nothing the ship or the naive crew could do as they remained unaware of the dangers awaiting.
VISION #2
There was a beautiful green landscape full of trees, animals, hills and vegetation. It was a wonderful view in every direction. Over this land people declare its glory and majesty and will do all they can to spend time in it. It was a beautiful image I saw. Then it turned. It changed in an instant. The view became a barren, desert land with bare trees. The soil was now a light color and cracked with a thin layer of loose dirt blowing across its surface. Nothing, it seemed, would be able to grow in a place like this.
If you're intrigued by these and want to know what they mean, please email me at brendonandkara@gmail.com
VISION #1
I saw a ship headed for shore on a stormy night. Waves crashing against the rocky coast. The ship's captain, crew and passengers were unaware how close they were to danger due to the lighthouse not working properly. Without the lighthouse working properly there was nothing the ship or the naive crew could do as they remained unaware of the dangers awaiting.
VISION #2
There was a beautiful green landscape full of trees, animals, hills and vegetation. It was a wonderful view in every direction. Over this land people declare its glory and majesty and will do all they can to spend time in it. It was a beautiful image I saw. Then it turned. It changed in an instant. The view became a barren, desert land with bare trees. The soil was now a light color and cracked with a thin layer of loose dirt blowing across its surface. Nothing, it seemed, would be able to grow in a place like this.
If you're intrigued by these and want to know what they mean, please email me at brendonandkara@gmail.com
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Edge of Hell
From Kara: It seems as though the blog has gotten away from us! It's been almost a month and a half since our last post and since then we have wrapped up track one, had a two week break, and finished our first 2 full weeks of track two. It was a good break and I think we're ready to get back to writing about our accounts about what the Lord is showing us in and out of the prayer room.
The emphasis of track two seems to be taking the things the Lord is showing us about himself and his love for people and demonstrating them in the physical realm and outside of the walls of IHOP. This includes street evangelism, which in all honesty I am not very well equipped in, have many reservations, and this past Saturday had the chance to dive into head on. That brings me to the Edge of Hell.
Downtown Kansas City is known for a couple big haunted house exhibits during the month of October. (This isn't my sister Kimmy's "haunted house" that she put on in her bedroom for a birthday party one year...my family is quite creative to say the least). Tons of people, young and old, line up around the block to attend "The Edge of Hell" and "The Beast," and we get to be there to talk to people about spiritual things and pray that the Lord breaks in and saves people.
Not only did I feel super awkward in the social sense, but there was such a heavy spiritually dark presence as Brendon and I walked the blocks of abandoned buildings reconstructed as houses of horror, intermingled with screams, guys with chain saws (sans chain) chasing people around, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" blasting over the loud speakers. We knew the demons were there and they knew we were there as well. I made Brendon promise that he would be my physical partner the entire night, also because he's been blessed with the gift of gab to talk to random people. I just felt lame...and kind of like I was on a re-con mission.
We had the opportunity to talk with a mother and her young daughter about her beliefs and what she thought about Jesus. She didn't believe that Jesus was the Savior of the world and didn't want to be persuaded otherwise, but it was good to talk with her nonetheless. I wanted to tell her about God's love for her and that He saw and desired her heart as well. Unfortunately that was an afterthought as we walked away. Ah, help me Lord to be bold! We walked together and continued to pray. Later on, the Lord highlighted a middle school boy sitting somewhat out of place among other pre-teen "zombie girls". In a moment of uncharacteristic boldness I introduced myself to him and talked to him about the Lord, his beliefs, his likes and dislikes, and told him what God thought about him: that God had a plan for his life and that he loved him. He had to go quickly as he was being called away. He accepted a few resources we were given to hand out and in my mind I prayed that a wall of fire would surround this young teenager and that the Lord would send his ministering angels and other believers to continue to plant, water and grow that spiritual seed.
Mmm. I guess I did it. And then I realized that it was not really about me, but about the Lord's heart being declared in a way that I was very unfamiliar with and somewhat skeptical. He truly can use anything and anybody to spread the truth of who he is. I also learned that I have a daunting cloud overhead that reads "the fear of man" that often storms above me. This is something I know the Lord is reworking and will continue to put me in circumstances where boldness is required. The last thing that struck me was the necessity of being bold in the arena of evangelism and declaring God's plan of salvation (whether through long-term relationships or "cold-turkey-street-style") because hell is a real place and this life is truly only a shadow of the eternal. Lord continue to make my heart break with the things that break yours.
The emphasis of track two seems to be taking the things the Lord is showing us about himself and his love for people and demonstrating them in the physical realm and outside of the walls of IHOP. This includes street evangelism, which in all honesty I am not very well equipped in, have many reservations, and this past Saturday had the chance to dive into head on. That brings me to the Edge of Hell.
Downtown Kansas City is known for a couple big haunted house exhibits during the month of October. (This isn't my sister Kimmy's "haunted house" that she put on in her bedroom for a birthday party one year...my family is quite creative to say the least). Tons of people, young and old, line up around the block to attend "The Edge of Hell" and "The Beast," and we get to be there to talk to people about spiritual things and pray that the Lord breaks in and saves people.
Not only did I feel super awkward in the social sense, but there was such a heavy spiritually dark presence as Brendon and I walked the blocks of abandoned buildings reconstructed as houses of horror, intermingled with screams, guys with chain saws (sans chain) chasing people around, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" blasting over the loud speakers. We knew the demons were there and they knew we were there as well. I made Brendon promise that he would be my physical partner the entire night, also because he's been blessed with the gift of gab to talk to random people. I just felt lame...and kind of like I was on a re-con mission.
We had the opportunity to talk with a mother and her young daughter about her beliefs and what she thought about Jesus. She didn't believe that Jesus was the Savior of the world and didn't want to be persuaded otherwise, but it was good to talk with her nonetheless. I wanted to tell her about God's love for her and that He saw and desired her heart as well. Unfortunately that was an afterthought as we walked away. Ah, help me Lord to be bold! We walked together and continued to pray. Later on, the Lord highlighted a middle school boy sitting somewhat out of place among other pre-teen "zombie girls". In a moment of uncharacteristic boldness I introduced myself to him and talked to him about the Lord, his beliefs, his likes and dislikes, and told him what God thought about him: that God had a plan for his life and that he loved him. He had to go quickly as he was being called away. He accepted a few resources we were given to hand out and in my mind I prayed that a wall of fire would surround this young teenager and that the Lord would send his ministering angels and other believers to continue to plant, water and grow that spiritual seed.
Mmm. I guess I did it. And then I realized that it was not really about me, but about the Lord's heart being declared in a way that I was very unfamiliar with and somewhat skeptical. He truly can use anything and anybody to spread the truth of who he is. I also learned that I have a daunting cloud overhead that reads "the fear of man" that often storms above me. This is something I know the Lord is reworking and will continue to put me in circumstances where boldness is required. The last thing that struck me was the necessity of being bold in the arena of evangelism and declaring God's plan of salvation (whether through long-term relationships or "cold-turkey-street-style") because hell is a real place and this life is truly only a shadow of the eternal. Lord continue to make my heart break with the things that break yours.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Becoming by Beholding
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Glory to Glory
From Brendon: Have you ever been in a thunderstorm? I mean REAL thunderstorm with lightning shooting across the sky right over your head, hail, thunder that shakes you to the core, and curtains of rain that constantly pound the Earth?! If you have then you know the awe and fear, maybe just slight, that it creates in you and there's a hope and a looking forward to it happening again. If you haven't experienced this, then you need to spend some time in the Mid West. Believe it or not, I'm not going to use this as a jumping off point for a spiritual lesson, although we all could. Feel free to ponder on that if you like.
I'm going to share something simple that God has been pressing on mine heart.
Honesty is a great policy, so I'll follow this great policy and let you know that I'm torn between terror and excitement. All because God is asking for transformation. Yes, He's asking me. Yes, God does a work in our hearts to cause transformation, but if I choose I could refuse maybe He would leave me alone, or I say "YES" to His calling on my life and I get to partner with Him in this age and see Him use me in some extraordinary things. Right now, that struggle is over lifestyle. Let me lay out what my life was like before moving our here: wake up and spend 30-60 min. in prayer, reading the Bible, go to work, count the hours before I was able to get home, get off work and go home, cook dinner, eat dinner, watch a movie or an episode of Lost with Kara then go to bed and sometimes we would pray for 10 minutes together in bed. Not bad, it was comfortable and every now and then we would meet up with friends or go hiking...something cool and really fun. Actually, I really enjoyed that life, but I knew I wasn't really seeking after Jesus (Deut. 6:4). There's the issue. God is calling me from that seeking of comfort, the reading His Word as duty, boring times of prayer and selfishness. He is calling me to see His Word as the primary pleasure in my life (that's craziness, right?), see people as the very children of God and prayer and fasting as transformative, and as a lifestyle. Here's a great verse:
"And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18) In verse 16 Paul says that when we look to the Lord the veil is removed. I believe this is not just that moment when we are saved but it is a continual, as we keep on looking the veil is removed more and more. The glass that we see through dimly is a little less dim the more we say "YES" to Him and agree to partner with Him. The GOD OF THE UNIVERSE WANTS US TO BE HIS PARTNERS! Can't wrap my head around that one. That's what I'm terrified and excited to do. May our Creator, who is God, give us grace to have our greatest pleasure in life be Him.
I'm going to share something simple that God has been pressing on mine heart.
Honesty is a great policy, so I'll follow this great policy and let you know that I'm torn between terror and excitement. All because God is asking for transformation. Yes, He's asking me. Yes, God does a work in our hearts to cause transformation, but if I choose I could refuse maybe He would leave me alone, or I say "YES" to His calling on my life and I get to partner with Him in this age and see Him use me in some extraordinary things. Right now, that struggle is over lifestyle. Let me lay out what my life was like before moving our here: wake up and spend 30-60 min. in prayer, reading the Bible, go to work, count the hours before I was able to get home, get off work and go home, cook dinner, eat dinner, watch a movie or an episode of Lost with Kara then go to bed and sometimes we would pray for 10 minutes together in bed. Not bad, it was comfortable and every now and then we would meet up with friends or go hiking...something cool and really fun. Actually, I really enjoyed that life, but I knew I wasn't really seeking after Jesus (Deut. 6:4). There's the issue. God is calling me from that seeking of comfort, the reading His Word as duty, boring times of prayer and selfishness. He is calling me to see His Word as the primary pleasure in my life (that's craziness, right?), see people as the very children of God and prayer and fasting as transformative, and as a lifestyle. Here's a great verse:
"And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18) In verse 16 Paul says that when we look to the Lord the veil is removed. I believe this is not just that moment when we are saved but it is a continual, as we keep on looking the veil is removed more and more. The glass that we see through dimly is a little less dim the more we say "YES" to Him and agree to partner with Him. The GOD OF THE UNIVERSE WANTS US TO BE HIS PARTNERS! Can't wrap my head around that one. That's what I'm terrified and excited to do. May our Creator, who is God, give us grace to have our greatest pleasure in life be Him.
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