Month: July 2021

Practice the Presence of God

(Depiction of Brother Lawrence washing dishes at the Carmelite Monastery)

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples,

So that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.

He awakens Me morning by morning,

He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

5 The Lord God has opened My ear,

And I was not disobedient,

Nor did I turn back.

–Isaiah 50:4-5

19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

–Matthew 18:19-20

I recently met with a precious brother at a park to share some current battles and burdens. We sat in the car for a couple of hours sharing our stories, reading Scripture and praying one for one another. We agreed the Practice of His Presence was the watershed of victorious Christian living and effective ministry. My friend shared with me, ‘’we may have walked a thousand steps away from God but we are always only one step from God”.

James, the brother of the Lord who lived under the same roof as Jesus in Nazareth said, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). The immediate context of the verse is the battle we face in our relationships, in the world, with pride, with the flesh and with the devil (James 4:1-7). The Father is ‘jealous’ to spend time with us and is ready to meet us anytime and anywhere we choose! The practice of His presence is the watershed of Christian experience and purpose to become like the Son.

God’s perpetual desire is to gather us individually  to Himself and collectively with each other. The World, the flesh and the devil wants to peel you off meaningful relationships and isolate you to break you down and tear you apart piece by piece.

There are two books I am aware of that have made a significant impact on the church over the past 100 years, both of which teach about practicing the Presence of God.

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

Jesus calls us to his rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort…Let every man abide in the calling wherein he is called and his work will be as sacred as the work of the ministry. It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.

-A.W. Tozer

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence (1611-1691, a lay Carmelite monk in Paris)

The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy.

-Brother Lawrence

Both books stir the heart to worship the Lord in the most menial tasks.  Obedience in the little private things  over and over is the sum total of character.  His grace is sufficient and His mercies are new every day so we will not lose heart in our common struggle.  We must avoid like the plague a mental separation from the sacred and the secular.  God is with us everywhere to be an Ever Present Help in Time of Need!  And the expectation of the  manifest Presence of God in the midst of our daily routines is imperative to our development and our mission. Our personal private spirituality is the fountainhead of our call to love, strengthen and provoke others to good works for the glory of God.  I have found the simple consistent meditation on Scripture revives me best, “Revive me according to Thy word” (Psalm 119). 

Jesus modeled the essential call to the secret place with the Father for rest, quietness, solitude, and assignment (John 6:15; Matt.14:13). He warned the people about practicing their spirituality and righteousness to only be seen by the public (Matt.6:1). Jesus Himself, so in tune with the Father, would boldly testify that He who watches Me closely will see the Eternal Father in action. Now of course, we will never imitate this kind of relationship. Yet we are called to sequester ourselves as individuals to a consistent pattern of the pursuit of the Father in the secret place. Moses was directed to crawl into a narrow opening (a cleft) in a giant rock. In that cleft of the rock the glory of the Lord passed before Moses and he became a friend of God! Our friendship with God is not possible outside of Christ, we must abide IN CHRIST to know the secret beauty of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. In this garden of reclusivity we are filled with both the tender and tough love of the Holy Spirit. Our character is fashioned in the secret place of the Most High God who transforms us as our Most Near Father! The fruit of the Spirit is cultivated in mature expressions of gracious words and deeds. The gifts of the Spirit are imparted and trained up into skillful instruments to edify, exhort, comfort and encourage His children and evangelize the lost. Below are a few examples of Practicing the Presence of God:

Adam: “Adam where are you?” This is where the gathering begins. The Father draws near to us and draws out of sin and shame to Himself. We must continue in this garden walking and talking in His presence! We discover the Presence of God when we acknowledged to Him our FEAR.

Enoch: “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God (Heb.11:5). Practicing the Presence of God, like Enoch, is like a salmon swimming upstream in a culture hell bent on wickedness. Every step of faith-righteousness we take toward the Father prepares us for the Great Gathering to Him at the end of the age, wherein, He will gather us together with the dead in Christ and we will meet in the air to forever live in His Presence with resurrected bodies and eternal purposes! The Rapture is the sum total of our individual and corporate walk under the Lordship of Jesus Christ on the earth as His beloved chosen ones.

Moses: The burning bush of cleansing and commissioning in the backside of the wilderness. God Himself gathered Moses to Himself before Moses gathered the Israelites in Egypt to lead them to the Promised Land. We discover the Presence of God when we “turn aside” from the demands of normal to behold the supernatural.

Joshua: As the servant of Moses, he lingered in the Presence of the Lord on the slopes of Mount Sinai and in the tabernacle when nobody was looking. This became the foundation of his public leadership and public victories.

Samuel: Raised up in the Tabernacle of Moses in Shiloh, learning to hear the voice of the Lord in the Holy Place. We discover the Presence of the Lord when we become like a child.

Elijah: Fleeing to the cave of duality, a man of like nature as ours, fresh off a gigantic victory on Mount Carmel against the prophets of Baal, has caved into fear and depression. Here the LORD gently speaks to Him and gives instructions for restoration , refreshing and to finish his race. We discover the Presence of the Lord when we decide to finish strong!

David: The Sweet Psalmist and Shepherd of Israel praises His Lord in private in the hills of Judea, while slaying the bear and lion. His “heart after God” was shaped in the simple unrewarded and unrecognized tasks of a lowly shepherd. We discover the Presence of the Lord when enter the secret place to seek the Father alone.

We must all learn to balance our private time with the LORD and our gathering with others. This balance is key to preventing serious extreme failure, unnecessary burn out and becoming religious bereft of love. 

The Good News is No limitations…we can meet Him in the desert, in a garden , on a mountain, in a valley, in crawl space or outer space, in a car or in a closet. We are the apple of His eye! A single drink in the Presence of Jesus quickly turns into a river of flowing influence with joy, peace, and righteousness in us and through us

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive;

—John 7:37-39

Today, draw near to God and draw near to a brother/sister or two and you will discover the immediate Presence of the Lord!

Rescued: Swimming for Love

John 21:1-23

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away (100 meters), dragging the net full of fish.  So, when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus *said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

 

12 Jesus *said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

 

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.

 

What motivates us? Who or what moves us toward change or transition to new things? Peter’s story is our story! Peter “threw himself into the sea” to swim toward the God who is love. Jonah was thrown into the stormy sea by his shipmates. We swim to God one way or another-under coercion or willfully…at some point we must draw near to embrace His grace in humility! Peter did not wait for anyone else to start the process of transformation and redemption, he struck out on his own, ate breakfast with Jesus and went on to turn his world upside down with the resurrection love of Jesus flowing in His heart!

The end-times will be marked with a short supply of agape love. Lawlessness will quench love between family, friends, neighborhoods and nations.  Fear will intimidate the spread of God’s bold love.  Wickedness will come out of the shadows in full view to attempt to triumph over goodness. Therefore, we must develop a strong love to swim in the still waters of His grace to be saved. Also, We must possess His love to be His Lifeguards in the troubled waters of humanity.

Below are some portraits of the anatomy of love.  The Holy Spirit works among us, in us and through us to be always perfecting His love (Rom.5:5). 

“Swimming” is a metaphor for breaking out of routine, getting out of our comfort zone and drawing near to the Lord Jesus.  God’s loving discipline often requires us to do something that we can’t do or have never done, but all heaven moves toward us when we step into this seeming abyss.

 

  • God’s Love does not give up on us…”this is now the 3rd time that Jesus manifested Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.” We must realize the grace of God chooses us and qualifies us in view of His foreknowledge of our failures….He is faithful even though we stumble and fall. He has already made up His mind to include us in His plan and purpose!  Jump in and swim you have nothing to lose but your self but everything eternal to gain!  Peter made the break with his past failure by swimming to Jesus!  “we love BECAUSE He first loved us (John)…he who has been forgiven much loves much (Jesus)”!

ACTION: Look in the mirror or at a crucifix and say aloud to yourself, “Jeff you  have been forgive for so much, you can forgive others from the heart with love”!

 

 

  • Biblical LOVE is centered on God and People not ourselves and things. The real fishing was Jesus casting a NET around His disciples and drawing them further into His kingdom purpose!  We must learn to use things to love people, not use people to love things!

 

ACTION: Give something of value that belongs to you to someone else. Cook a meal for someone and tell talk to them about the love of God.

 

 

  • Love Cooks, Counts and Love is LARGE...153 LARGE FISH,,,..it’s a record! “Love is the accurate estimate and the abundant supply of the needs of others”.  Count your blessings name them one by one and surely you will see what the Lord has done!

 

ACTION: Go on a walk and do nothing but thank God for specific blessings…Don’t ask for anything.

 

  • Love does not fall apart under the strain, pull, and pressure of life. “The net was not torn”! If it does “tear” love heals the broken heart! John was an expert at ‘mending’ nets, the same word translated for “equipping” in Eph. 4. God’s work should not tear us apart but hold us together under the demands, pressures and challenges of ministry in our homes  and in our churches.

 

ACTION: Ask the Father to heal any broken areas or extreme disappointments with your experience in the Church.  Reconcile yourself with someone perhaps you fell out of relationship.

 

 

  • The Love of God believes in the value of others BEFORE they convert.  The model of discipleship demonstrated by Jesus was one of pursuit, personal and persuasion.  Sometimes We try to get people saved and then we pay attention to them.  Discipleship of Jesus leads to repentance and faith in God and the love of God. Discipleship can lead to conversion too. 

 

 

  • What does Jesus mean “do you love Me more than these” (plural)? 

·         153 Large Fish, business success, prosperity, what Peter was good at, fishing was Peter’s go to, but he had to let it go to fulfill his calling.

·         Jesus cooking..the fish Jesus had brought to the party…do you love Me for who I am…more than what I can DO for you? 

·         Peter’s Friends…sometimes we are required to strike out in obedience to the Lord without the understanding or support of friends or family.

 

  • Love is Voluntarily Loyal, Tough & Tender…Let’s face it Peter was kind of harsh, a brawler…the Love of God does not flatter but challenges the one loved with tough truth and purpose. Jesus is Lord, He owns us by His blood…He has the right to question our loyalty and resolve to serve and worship Him. However, He does so in a way that builds our conviction, our cause and confidence in Him and Him alone to supply everything we need to please and glorify Him! 

ACTION: Ask the Lord Jesus to deepen you love for Him and others. Be willing to repent and open your heart to His love in a new way!

  • Love Does Not Waste Time Comparing & Competing with Other Christians…21 So Peter, upon seeing him, *said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”  We all are called to run our unique race. We must fix our eyes on Jesus and laying aside our own weights and the sin which so easily entangles us (Heb.12:1-2).  As my father-in-law, Rick Howard, often said, “keep your cotton-pickin’ hands of other Christians” …I agree there comes a point when we let go of trying to figure out what everyone else is doing or supposed to do and we become razor sharp in our own call to “follow” Jesus in obedient love.  Fast Forward, the beautiful portrait is painted in Acts with Peter and John walking together to the temple for prayer and they heal the lame man at the Gate Beautiful.

 How beautiful it is when we swim to Jesus in the privacy of our own calling and then walk together as Brothers & Sisters to do His work of love!

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Jude 20-21

A DEBT OF LOVE: FREE TO BE A SLAVE

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

Galatians 5:13

A quick survey in the New Testament will reveal the radical nature of the freedom Jesus Christ endorses and encourages. In essence, Jesus came to set us free to spiritually change (2 Cor.3:18) and serve others in love (Gal.5:13). No matter “where” you are at, there is liberty by the Spirit of Lord to approach the Father with confidence to initiate needed transition or transformation in your heart, mind and body. Being stuck is your choice not God’s. “Where” the Spirit of Jesus is there is always freedom to help others in time of their need. We all often fall short of this glorious call to “seeking” and “serving” God, I certainly do. The good news is we can constantly start afresh through humility and repentance to secure the grace to move forward and progress in our call to be conformed to the likeness of Christ!

The highest expression of FREEDOM is to place oneself under the Lordship of Jesus by the loving power of His Spirit! Our Independence is best expressed in Dependence on God.

Slavery in the First Century was widespread in the Roman Empire. Some historians believe before the rise of the Roman Emperor’s (1st Century B.C.) perhaps 66-90% of the population were slaves. In the first century jC.E. an estimated 60,000,000 slaves existed within the borders of Roman domination. Of the 6,000,000 people in Italy, 2,000,000 were slaves.  

Thus, the radical message of EMANCIPATION by the Gospel of Jesus Christ cut to the core of the life and identity of the majority of the masses.  Unlike slavery in the United States, slaves in the Roman Empire were made in two primary ways.  Slaves were taken as spoils of war.  Secondly, people sold themselves into slavery or their children to make a living, pay off debt etc.  Slaves could be  highly skilled, educated and coveted among the Roman elite citizenry.  Slavery was a brutal reality with little dignity in the industry.  When paraded to be sold in the market places, they would have a written sign hung about their necks divulging strengths and weaknesses to inform potential slaveholders.  Sex-traffiking was not unusual with young girls.  Some slaveholders set aside a little money in a freedom account for their slaves. Over time they could then use that savings account to purchase their freedom. Unfortunately, often the amount needed could take anywhere from seven years to a lifetime of servitude. The early leaders of the church did not seek to disupt the institution of slavery, rather, they appealed to both slaves and slave-masters to exhibit respect and dignity in the sight of Jesus who would judge all (Eph.6:5-9).  

A “bond-servant” (gk.doulos) was someone who sold themselves into slavery to serve another. The Apostles adopted this understanding to describe their voluntary allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are set free as ‘sons and daughters’ of God only to sell ourselves into service of His Lordship by the power of the Holy Spirit!  To proclaim “Jesus is Lord” was a crime against the state which declared “Caesar is Lord” (1 Cor.12:3).  True freedom is ultimately expressed in submission to the kingdom of God not the respective government. A man or woman who picks up their cross, denying a selfish life  to follow the decrees of God in Christ are not restrained nor ruled by the decrees of governments.

As a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ what exactly have we been set free from? Three platforms of genuine Christian Liberty:

  • Free from spiritual ignorance (John 8:32,36)…Freedom releases the Spirit of revelation into the true knowledge of Jesus in our hearts to conquer unbelief, apathy and fear!
  • Free from the “dominion of darkness” (Col.1:13-14)…Freedom redemptively transfers us to the kingdom of God and His forgiveness! The devil loses control of our lives under the dominion of God in Christ. This is triumph of the goodness of God over Evil!
  • Free from the ruling power of sin (Rom.6:18,22)…Freedom ushers in the King of Grace to rule over our sinful nature in the power of the Holy Spirit! This is the progress of sanctification in all seasons of life when walking in the law of the Spirit of life (Rom.8:1-3).

Freedom, boiled down to its essence according to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles,  is manifested in a life marked by moral transformation and servanthood.  A truly free human being does not focus on their “rights” but upon the glory of God and His right-eousness.  A disciple who is sincerely worshipping  by  sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn His ways will rise to wash the feet of others.  

The Spirit of the Lord gives us all the resources we need to personally be restored into the likeness of Christ. This inward transformation of the heart will always lead us to serve others with the very love and power He imparted to us.  

True Freedom is manifested in voluntarily becoming a Slave, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ to do His will to repay the debt of love!

WORTHY IS THE LAMB OF GOD WHO RELEASED US FROM OUR SINS TO WORSHIP AND SERVE HIM IN LOVE!