Get Your Head in the Clouds

"Pursue the things over which Christ presides... Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ — that's where the action is. See things from His perspective." — Colossians 3:1-2, Message

We never have to worry that becoming a person who seeks things and sets our minds on things that are Above rather than focusing on the things and issues of this world will somehow render us, as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it, “so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” In fact, in the upside-down economy of the Kingdom of God, it's good to know that the very opposite is reality…

Jesus, when He was ready and willing to heal a deaf and dumb man, first looked up to heaven “and said, ‘Ephphata,’ which means, ‘Be opened!’ Instantly, the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!”—Mark 7:33-35

Jesus, when He was ready and willing to speak life into his dead friend Lazarus, and as a foreshadowing of His own destiny (and ours), “looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, thank You for hearing me.’”—John 11:39-44

Jesus, when He was ready and willing to obey the ultimate calling on His life simply out of a Love relationship with the Father, “looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.”—John 17:1-5

The next time someone—especially the accuser's voice in your own head—tells you to “get your head out of the clouds,” put it right back in. Because, as Jesus modeled, it is Above where perfect power, goodness, friendship, and life have their headquarters, and when we fix our hopes there and get our perspective from there rather than the tangled mess that's right in front of us, all things are possible.

Becoming heavenly minded has nothing to do with covering our ears and looking the other way but is instead all about knowing and activating what it really means to pray “on earth as it is in heaven” into the people and situations of our lives, and to simply be ready and willing, knowing that the One who has gone before us will be coming back soon and is cheering us on until that day:
 

"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you—I have planted you—that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting, that it may remain, abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name as presenting all that I Am, He may give it to you." (John 15:16)

  

“We can do nothing else but watch and wait, which means enthusiastically, totally taken up, deaf toward everyone and [and everything] who would make us confused with doubts, blind to every fore that comes between us and that future of [and with] God. Only one thing is of importance to us: We want to see God; we want to hear God; we want to receive God; we want to know God; we want to serve God. We want inconceivably nothing else, in any case, nothing like we want God"—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

[photo:vagabondish.com]

The resurrection is not an isolated supernatural oddity proving how powerful, if apparently arbitrary, God can be when he wants to. Nor is it at all a way of showing that there is indeed a heaven awaiting us after death. It is the decisive event demonstrating that God’s kingdom really has been launched on earth as it is in heaven.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/710926

The resurrection is not an isolated supernatural oddity proving how powerful, if apparently arbitrary, God can be when he wants to. Nor is it at all a way of showing that there is indeed a heaven awaiting us after death. It is the decisive event demonstrating that God’s kingdom really has been launched on earth as it is in heaven.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/710926

 

On the Way Out the Door...

"Let your heart overflow with praise, for He is good: His faithful love endures forever" —Psalm 136:1, The Voice

It may be true that God liked the antiphonal response to the worship leader's cry so much that He hit the repeat button 26 times in this psalm just so that the point would be driven home to our often weak, doubting, exhausted hearts. After about the fourth or fifth response, though, it's tempting to say "OK, I get it already," and move on. And, also still feeling pretty much the same as you did before you started reading.

To which God might reply:

“If you want to really 'get it already,' hang out with Me for a second here. Forget about the fact that I liked to hit the repeat button 26 times and just soak on that opening phrase. Go ahead. You will find Me in those words, because I wasn’t kidding when I said ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.’ Take it all in, word by word.”

And as you do, even while looking at the clock and realizing that you really should be getting out the door soon, the conversation continues, as a son to his Father and a Father to His child…

“Well to be honest, this seems pretty redundant here; what am I missing?”

“OK, check out that fourth word. Endures. I want you to know without a shadow of a doubt that 'endures' doesn’t mean what you think it means at all. I am not reluctantly, sighing-ly putting up with your imperfect walk. I love cheering you on, 24/7! And when I say My Love endures to you, it means that, no matter how many times or how badly you trip up, or how lousy any particular day may be going for you, the power quality of that Love that is beyond your wildest dreams continues to exist in its same high octane goodness without wavering. Ever.

“Look, I know you’ve got to get on the road to work, but I want you to know one more thing that will be fuel for your day: One of the reasons I hit that repeat button 26 times is because there are no pages, no books, no libraries big enough that can contain the definitions of enduring Love I have for you. For starters: My Love never quits. My love alone is never fleeting and is always faithful, always loyal. My lovingkindness toward you is an endless supply of graciousness, mercy, and compassion, if you will just open your hand and receive it. Most of all, My Love is in My Son, who I gave for you so we could be talking like this. And not only that, My enduring Love toward you breaks through every cloudy day, screaming headline, and whispered joy-sucking accusation. ‘God is Love’ is who I Am, and there is nothing syrupy or boring or redundant about any of that. There is a reason that everyone seems to be singing that song lately about My goodness.

"Speaking of that, just one more thing: Don’t let the words stay on the page. The real power behind Me hitting that repeat button 26 times is not so much in the repetition itself, but in the declaration that will come from your heart and lips. Go ahead, do it. Crank up your iTunes in the car, and turn up the bass to the max. Let it out. It will change your perspective on a lot of things today, change your misconceptions about Me, and it will change you. Here, try this one on as you're heading out the door…

"O God, my heart is steadfast, in the confidence of faith; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image… For Your mercy and lovingkindness are great and high as the heavens. Your truth and faithfulness reach to the skies!”—Psalm 108:1, 4 Amplified

"Worship is forgetting about what's wrong with you and remembering what's right with God."--Mark Batterson

Seasoning with Royalty

“In a nutshell, the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 tells the story of a God reckless with desire to get his family back.”—Philip Yancey, “The Jesus I Never Knew”

 

While others crossed to the other side of the street, Jesus walked up to the tax collector’s booth and, in spite of its symbol of oppression and dishonesty, He looked into the eyes of a guy named Matt, loved him, invited him on an adventure he couldn’t have ever imagined or would live to regret, and even hung out with him and his ungodly friends for dinner.

The letters to the churches in the New Testament say a lot about having nothing to do with certain kinds of people and situations, but almost all of those are in the context of so-called fellow believers who are not living like they were rescued from the pits of hell or invited to live out the most practical, fantastic, holy romance with the God of the universe.

It is because God wants us to step into our identity as royalty, His sons and daughters, and to step away from distractions and things that would taint our faith so we can carry on the family heritage of being salt and light wherever our day takes us. Not merely in the comfy confines of our circle of church friends, but in the Master’s footsteps, out there at the tax collector’s booths of the world. The mission field, after all, isn’t just overseas. It’s also right there on Main Street.

And it can start with some pretty simple but underutilized things:

• Instead of crossing to the other side of the street, showing courtesy, patience, and a smile to the person at the checkout who may be stressed about a lot of things and just grateful to have a job to help make ends meet.

• Being unafraid to buy a high-octane coffee known by a sketchy-sounding name and quietly praying blessing on the person who poured it.

• Tipping, and doing so extravagantly.

• Saying thank you more often.

• Seeing the shocked and amazed expression when you add, “Have a great morning.”

In fact, Lord, help us to be a lot more like these guys: [CLICK ME.]

No, this is not the "four spiritual laws," but it does look a lot like the first step of how Jesus approached a guy named Matt. And much more than just being nice, cultivating the practice of putting prayer behind it all can be the supernatural spark that one day, even today, prompts someone we may never see again to hear, to receive, to accept an invitation to an adventure they couldn’t have ever imagined or would live to regret.

"Follow God’s example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him." — Ephesians 5:1-2, Living

Magnetic Attraction

“I am counting on the LORD; Yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His word. I long for the LORD more than sentries long for the dawn…”—Psalm 130:5-6 NLT

When the dark is especially dark in the wee hours of a morning at your local all-night convenience store, the conservations with customers can be more interesting than usual....

Looking at a bible near the cash register, presumably the property of the cashier, a slightly-staggering patron asks a jolting question: “So, why should I go to church in the morning?” There are a million long-winded things the guy behind the counter could have said in reply, but even to his own surprise, only one word came out:

“Hope.”

As the first, faint glimmer of a new day started to appear outside, greeted by the distant sound of early-rising songbirds, the customer didn’t argue, didn’t swear, didn’t do anything but pause, smile, and head out into the emerging sunrise....

What is this magnetic attraction to see the sun rise over the horizon—a sandy beach, a mountain top, a back yard, or from an all-night convenience store? It might just be exactly what the guy behind the counter said. Because God has implanted the magnetic attraction of His creation into everyone’s heart, to enjoy for sure, but even more in hopes that what we see around us every day might draw us to the loving heart of God Himself.

The singing birds are not chirping something totally random, either. It's a heaven-sent symphony, with a rhythm of joy, to the tune of: "A new day is dawning! Hope is rising anew! Dude, guess what? A clean slate awaits you! Your hopeless, lonely darkness has been exposed by glorious light! And not only that, the faithfulness of God’s presence is about to manifest in new and surprising ways, so get ready! Look Up!"

Even the Mourning Dove, in her own way, sings of hope: "The deepest pains may linger through the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile of morning. Look Up!" 

In spite of all that, on any given day, I may not be feeling the songbird/sunrise love, or I may have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed with an unexplainable gloomy mood and grumpy back. Then what? There is only one good choice: get in agreement with David's faith-filled "Lord, it's a new day and I'm counting on You one more time!," and with what the songbirds know about God and His heart for us, and with God's magnetic attractions that are all around us, and especially with the heart of what the store clerk declared in one simply powerful word to someone in the dark night of their soul...

 "Jesus leads us into a place of radical grace where we are able to celebrate the hope of experiencing God’s glory. And that’s not all. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance, which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness. And hope will never fail to satisfy our deepest need because the Holy Spirit that was given to us has flooded our hearts with God’s love." — Romans 5:2-5

"As we gaze upon the wonders of creation, we look Up towards the heights of a God who is merciful in His ways and magnificent in His deeds. The life of worship always points us Upwards."— Matt Redman

As we gaze upon the wonders of creations, we look up towards the heights of a God who is merciful in His ways and magnificent in His deeds. The life of worship always points us upwards.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/724711

As we gaze upon the wonders of creations, we look up towards the heights of a God who is merciful in His ways and magnificent in His deeds. The life of worship always points us upwards.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/724711

Awakening Hope

“What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true.”—John 4:36-37, NLT

Peter was all over the map and was forever putting his foot in his mouth.

John could be leaning on Jesus’ breast one minute and the next wanting to call down fire on all that is wrong.

Philip was with Jesus for three years and still didn’t “get it” until the very end.

Nathaniel was skeptical and cynical.

Matthew came over from the dark side of the tracks.

James (and his brother) lobbied for celebrity status, forgetting humility.

Thaddeus seemed to quietly watch everything from the background.

And, as observed last week, Thomas had more questions than usual and often needed extra proof to be convinced.

It’s good to remember that, just like us, the first followers of Jesus were about as imperfect as you could get. And yet for our example, it was to this same "who picked these guys?" group into which Jesus poured His life and entrusted to follow in His footsteps, and to whom He said: “… I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These …fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!”—John 4:35, Message

Right in front of us? Sometimes, when we read things like that and realize that it is a timeless call,the enemy of our souls will try really hard to convince (lie to) us that our many imperfections and inconsistencies are a disqualifier, or tries to remind us how tongue-tied we can get when talking with others, or attempts to cast doubt on whether we even have the Biblical chutzpah within to really bring it home for someone. The adversary's end game pretty much comes down to this: “Who can do that? Not you. Be kinda like Thaddeus and just watch someone else try harvesting, and maybe you can see what you can do to help afterwards.”

To which we can counter with this Truth: In Jesus’ kingdom, everyone gets to play! And that every Perfect harvest began with an imperfect seed-planter. Which means no planted seed is too small or inconsequential, even...

That person we invited to church who hasn’t come…yet…

That friend who said “no thanks” when we offered them a bible…

That person who slammed the door or hung up the phone and yelled “you’re crazy, man!” after we said we’d pray for them…

That job or local gathering place that seems to continually put random people and their situations continually before us, and a word of Hope from our mouths in return.

Lord, helps us to remember that, as with Your first 12, what matters most about loving You and following You isn’t about having it all together, but rather being found faithful in all the seemingly small seed-planting opportunities that You drop in our lap each day. Even the ones we think wound up being an epic fail. Because they probably weren't. And we'll be humbled and grateful and excited if they will be used for one of the greatest awakenings of thousands in history...but it will also be more than enough if they are simply for one person who is greatly awakened by Hope in just the nick of time, whether we're there to see it happen or not.

 

"God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Your part is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints.”— Oswald Chambers

For Every Thomas Moment

“[Jesus] drew close to Thomas: 'Reach out and touch Me. See the punctures in My hands; reach out your hand, and put it to My side; leave behind your faithlessness, and believe.' Thomas, filled with emotion: 'You are the one True God and Lord of my life!'”—John 20:27-28, The Voice

Imagine just for a moment that, long after the initial post-Resurrection exuberance of the household had died down a bit, Jesus took his fish and beverage and stepped outside where he noticed Thomas—maybe you and me—leaning on a wall with a warm breeze on his face and peering off into the horizon. Too amazed, too joy-filled, and too excited to eat. And as had often been the case for the past three years, Jesus doesn't have to say a word. His nearness, his presence alone is enough for Thomas to really open up to his friend…

“See, that’s the thing. I was afraid—I think all of us were—that we had lost you. Your presence, Jesus. There is nothing on earth better or more important than Your presence. And it just looked like, well, you know, you were going to be like every other good guy, every good prophet who’s come along: They don’t like you, so they kill you, and it’s over.

So sure, we were afraid, and we ran. But for me, not so much because I was afraid for my life, but when your faith is shaken, you begin to wonder if you're about to be abandoned—left alone to try to figure out life, again, by yourself. Scary.

The guys can call me the doubter, or Eeyore, or whatever all they want, but I am just a guy with a lot of questions and yet who loves you and wants to know, really know—I mean, really, really know you. Experience it full on. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, you know?

You gotta admit, you sure can be mysterious at times, talking in parables and such. But I haven't let that discourage me—in fact, even with all my questions, it all drove me to want to spend more time with you, to see how you lived life while talking with your Father. I can’t explain it really, but following you in that way just seemed peaceful, and joyful, and right, like this is why I was born—even if it was crazy at times and didn’t always make sense. I saw how you loved on people, and listened to their stories, and touched their bodies and emotions and healed them. And I so wanted in, just as you called us to be. All in. And I still do.

But when they told us you had died in that most gruesome way, I was grief-stricken and disillusioned to the point of wanting to throw up. Until I remembered: You told us it would be this way. How do I know that? Well, believe it or not, I remembered that kind of snarky thing I said when you told us that we were going up to Judea; something like, “oh great, let’s go die with him.” Wow, you know? You are truly amazing—you even use the foolish things we do and say for our good and for your glory. You used that comment to help me remember that this was all going to happen, and that you'd not just die horribly but rise from the dead, and that yet again You are always true to your Word.

Yeah, I know I wanted extra proof even so—to see it with my own eyes, to touch you for myself—but I just want to thank You for never giving up on me. Thanks for the tough love in there just now about not letting doubts drag me down but to remember to believe even when I cannot always see. Not a blind faith, but one that remembers that you have a 100 percent track record of Love promises made, and to hold onto that instead.

In spite of myself, I want you to know that I'm ready to live out all you showed and taught us...because you're my friend, yes, but mostly, like I said in there, because you are Lord of my life.  You are worth everything that I've got! And I’m reminded just now of one more thing: that your rising from the dead, you being here right now, proves you meant what you said—that you'd never, ever leave or forsake us. Never.  

And that's a doubt-crusher of a promise that I, that all of us, need to grab onto in a big way right now. And tomorrow, and the next day, until you come back again. No doubt about it....

More fish?”

"And holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me into love to those around me...
And I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken"

- from "Build My Life," Housefires

No One Even Comes Close

“Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed: ‘Blessed is He who comes, the King in God’s name! All’s well in heaven! Glory in the high places.’ Some Pharisees from the crowd told Him, ‘Teacher, get Your disciples under control!’ But He said, ‘If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.’”—Luke 19:37-40

The definition of Biblical praise may be one of the largest in God’s warehouse of wonderful words. It’s a definition that has no period at the end. In fact, it shoves good grammar rules aside in favor of a fantastic, never-ending sentence. And the Palm Sunday procession helps remind us why God mentions its various expressions nearly 9,000 (!) times.

For starters, praise is our first action when praying the Lord’s Prayer.

It is the first word in the greatest-ever hymn of thanks: Doxology.

It is the first thing Paul does before encouraging the early churches.

Most of all, it is the fruit of our lips from a thankful life.

It glorifies God for all we have “heard and seen.”

It defies the darkness and causes prisoners to sit up and listen.

It causes seemingly impenetrable walls and situations to crumble.

It routs a host of pressures and attacks from all sides and angles without lifting a finger.

And, it is always something that’s sorely lacking in our day: positive and uplifting.

From the highest angel in the heavens to the smallest child in the Palm Sunday processional, praise declares: God is God alone, God is awesome, God is amazing, God defines love...

...and no one else even comes close.

And when the enemy of your soul says not to get carried away praising God from whom all blessings flow, and to get it “under control,” it’s good to know that Jesus—and every stone and all of creation—always has our back.

“Let praise cascade off my lips; after all, You’ve taught me the truth about life! And let Your promises ring from my tongue; every order You’ve given is right…I love it when You show Yourself! Invigorate my soul so I can praise You well; use Your decrees to put iron in my soul.”

—Psalm 119:171-72, 175, The Message

[ADAPTED FROM 4-13-14]