Posted on

Carried Up into Heaven

Often the gospel is only viewed as Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, but while that is of first importance (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), our salvation could not be possible without the incarnation (the Word becoming flesh and making His dwelling with us) or the ascension.  Several things are possible because Jesus is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:8) and seated at the right hand of the Father.

I. Luke 24:50-53.  Because He ascended, we can have a change of address.  What a beautiful picture it is of the alive Jesus being carried away to the Father.  It’s very similar to the poor man in Luke 16:22.  Both are fully conscious when they ascend, and Jesus tells us He’s going to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-4), something that is done for alive people.  Furthermore, for those who are part of the first resurrection, the second death has no power over them (Revelation 20:6-15).

II. Acts 1:6-11.  Because He ascended, our questions have good answers.  No doubt we live in a time when Christian faith is under attack by scoffers (2 Peter 3:3-4), yet we can give an answer for where our Savior we claim is alive currently is and the work He is doing at the right hand of the Father.  We can also say with certainty that Jesus will indeed return, not to bear sin (He’s already done that), but to bring to the Father those who are eagerly waiting for Him (Hebrews 9:26-28).

III. Hebrews 1:2-4.  Because He ascended, we now have a heavenly advocate.  Jesus told us that unless He went away we would not have certain advantages (John 16:7).  As our High Priest in heaven (Hebrews 8:1-6), He can be a great help to us in our current lives because He was made like us in every way (Hebrews 2:14-18), but He can be a perfect intercessor for us at the Father’s side (Hebrews 7:22-26) as Satan is constantly accusing us before this very throne (Revelation 12:10).

We need Jesus every moment of our lives.  Because He is ascended alive into heaven, our Savior is in a greater position to help us in every need that we have.

Posted on

Beyond the Broken Earth

The channels of my mind
are well traversed with thoughts
of your clear eyes that roam
across the wide, wide earth
to seek a trusting soul
and bless with peace and grace.

Oh, Lord, here am I, that soul.

From your throne, you incline
to see your servants’ needs,
and send your ministering angels
to watch, defend, protect,
while the Spirit lives within
to change and shape for heaven.

See me, your servant, Father.

Within our space and time,
you work in love to draw
your people across the line,
beyond the broken earth,
to the perfect, lighted place
of the sprawling tree of life.

Draw me with them, O God!

Posted on

For We Cannot But Speak

People have done all kinds of things while sleepwalking–cooking, driving … even killing–to wake up without a recollection of their actions.  That’s how some believe the Holy Spirit works in our lives, that it takes us over and we have no choice but to do what it forces us to do.  Usually assemblies of these folks will have multiple people at once babbling in tongues, dancing, jumping, fainting, or rolling around.  But, is that how we see God’s Spirit working in the lives of first century Christians?  Rather, like a boy who has just caught a big fish and can’t help but tell others about it, we see the Spirit giving them boldness to edify and evangelize.

I.  Acts 4:17-31.  It must have seemed overwhelming to Jesus’ followers who didn’t yet have the Counselor to be told to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that Jesus had commanded.  What a difference there was between the group in Acts 1 of about 120 huddled within the walls of the upper room with the gospel message hidden within them to the same group accused in Acts 5:28 of filling Jerusalem with their teaching.  That difference was the gift of the Holy Spirit given to them at baptism (Acts 2:36-39).

II.  1 Corinthians 14:26-33.  Without the complete Word of God written that thoroughly equips us today (2 Timothy 3:16-17), God used the lesser gifts of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge early in the first century to impart and attest to His Word, but these would end (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) and had largely ended by the time the gospels and epistles were written and circulated (Hebrews 2:3-4).  But, God was never about chaos.  Even when He chose to use lesser gifts to impart His Word, the spirits of prophets were subject to the control of the prophets.  Those through whom God used to speak in languages they hadn’t studied, prophesy, or present knowledge were to take turns and choose to remain silent at times.  God did not take them over but equipped them through His Spirit.

III.  Romans 8:9-11.  Though we were given the gift of God’s Spirit dwelling within us at baptism, we (probably in reaction to the misuse of how He works in us by groups around us) act like we don’t have the Spirit within us and largely ignore this gift.  Though we know the great commission that Jesus has given to us, we huddle within the walls of our upper rooms with the gospel message that a lost world so desperately needs to hear hidden within us.  Like Acts 1 followers, we pray that God will change the world to make it more receptive and tremble in fear of politically-correct persecution.  But, after the Acts 2 Christians had been beaten and threatened not to speak in the Name of Jesus anymore, they prayed instead for boldness to edify and evangelize … and the Holy Spirit equipped them to do so.

Understood within the proper context, we have an incredible gift–God’s Spirit living within us to guide, equip, strengthen, and embolden us to live as Acts 2 Christians.  Are you ignoring it or guarding it (2 Timothy 1:13-14) to use for God’s Kingdom?

Posted on

Rushed Upon Him

Throughout the Avengers series, Bruce Banner struggled to control the Hulk from taking over.  That’s how many believe the Holy Spirit acts in our lives.  Samson seems to exemplify that, but with a closer look we see that those with the Spirit of the Lord choose their actions.

I.  Judges 14:1-20.  It’s clear from the onset of Samson’s story that God knows our terrible choices ahead of time and uses them for His will.  The ‘lawless men’ who sent Jesus to the cross were not thwarting God’s plan but falling into it (Acts 2:22-24).  It’s also clear throughout all of Samson’s life that despite having the Spirit of the Lord that he acted out of selfish motives and anger, something that could not please God.

II.  John 2:13-17.  Jesus had God’s Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17), and many might have thought that there was another Samson in their midst when He overturned tables and drove money-changers out of the temple with a whip.  But, John explains that the source of Jesus’ anger was different.  Jesus who never sinned (Hebrews 4:15) had an anger not rooted in sin (Ephesians 4:26) but rather zeal for His Father’s house.  Like Samson, though, Jesus chose His actions.

III.  Acts 2:16-39.  We too choose our actions.  Given the Spirit of the Lord as a gift at baptism, Christians choose to either take the route of Samson and grieve the Spirit by our sinful choices (Ephesians 4:30) or serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).  With His Spirit, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) to bring others to Christ the choice of waging spiritual war differently than the world does (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).  But we have to choose these!

If you have obeyed the gospel, you have the Spirit of the Lord.  With it dwelling in us, teaching us, and equipping us in various ways, we each need to choose what we will do with this new life we have been given.

 

 

Posted on

Pour Out Your Blessing

Pour out your blessing, Lord of light,
Lord of sight, Lord of sound,
Pour out your Spirit, full of might,
Full of power where gifts abound.

Pour out this soul, a life to give,
A life to live, a life to serve;
Pour out your servant, his work receive,
A sacrifice without reserve.

Pour out, O God, upon this earth,
The word to save, the word of love;
Bring forth for many a spiritual birth,
That all to heaven might soon remove.

Posted on

Upon Your Spirit

The mind is marked with sin’s impress,
The past disrupts the single eye;
O God of power, we confess:
Upon your Spirit we rely.

Posted on

This is what I ask you, Lord, to give me

Give me strength to resist the devil and take hold of victory in Christ that you have promised.

Give me wisdom to know right and timely words that will build others up and proper steps to take for the greatest blessing.

Give me courage to speak of Christ at all times, even when truth has a good chance of not being well received.

Give me your Spirit that he might produce in me the virtues of my Lord.

Give me glory to shine as a light on a hill that all may see your goodness e confess your wonderful Name.

Give me love to accept each person where he is and show him how to be accepted by you through obedience to the gospel of Christ.

Give me joy so that every day offers me your presence and the hope of receiving one of the eternal rooms that Jesus is preparing.

Posted on

In Me Create This Newness of Life

You know me, Lord, and every struggle,
every weakness — all my faults —
You read my every motive and thought.
Into my heart send your Spirit,
to cleanse and wholly purify —
Before you lie my body and soul.
You seek to make a vessel of honor,
this I would be — in me create
this newness of life — in hope I wait.
Be glorified in me, eternal glory,
yours since before the world began —
In my weakness show your strength,
in me be seen the sign of mercy.

Posted on

From Quaking Mountain and Sea

O Lord of earth and heaven, hear us!
Let love revive and service move us.
From quaking mountain and sea, come near us!
From grace let Satan not remove us.

Our Christ is King of kings, we praise him!
Disciples mustn’t deny or betray him.
No evil force detains or delays him!
We trust, confess and daily obey him.

Your word has life, Lord, let us read it!
Where the Holy Spirit lives, we’d know it.
Our hunger for justice, O God, come feed it!
You’re faithful and true, to the righteous show it.

Posted on

Fluent in speaking to you

Heavenly Father, prayer is such a privilege! To come before your holy and magnificent presence is an honor that has no equal. Stretch my language abilities, that I might be fluent in speaking to you. Often I feel the limits of language. When I do, I thank the Spirit for carrying my inexpressible thoughts to your throne.

Bring me often to your glory, that I might spill out before you my hurts and heart-felt questions, offer my gratitude for hope and blessings, ask your help for strength and courage.

Make eternity turn upon my prayers, that it might rescue many who stand upon its brink. Give us our daily bread and our eternal sustenance.

Open our eyes to power in your word and work. Sweep us along in your will, for we desire to go in your direction, behind the cloud of your movement.