The Centrality of the Kingdom Message in the Gospel

This morning I woke up around 4am and was trying to go back to sleep and ended up thinking about sermon topics (No idea why) and the topic of the Kingdom of God immediately popped into my mind.  This is a topic that has been near to my heart for many years, ever since I read through the entirety of Matthew's Gospel in one sitting, and realized that Jesus constantly spoke about the Kingdom, in fact it is mentioned 53 times in Matthew alone.  That day I started researching and reading and paying attention to the mention of the Kingdom of God in scripture and realized it was essentially the foundational message of Jesus, and somehow I had never noticed this.

Jesus starts His ministry with the following proclamation - (Mark 1:15 NIV) “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”  Matthew indicates that this was his primary message saying, (Matthew 4:23 NIV) "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people."

We are told that Jesus ended His earthly ministry teaching about the Kingdom as described in Acts 1:3 NIV: "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

Many of Jesus' parables begin with this phrase, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..." (Matt 13: 24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47). He was clearly working to convey an understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven to His followers, and it was evidently very important.  Matthew uses the phrase Kingdom of Heaven, Mark and Luke use the phrase Kingdom of God and they are exactly the same thing.

When Jesus originally sent out the twelve He gave them this charge - Matthew 10:7-8 NIV: "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

The twelve did exactly what they were told to do, as described by Luke 9:6 NIV: "So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere."

Jesus described prophetically how the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached to all the world - Matthew 24:14 NIV: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

In a continuation of that exact same ministry, Mark ends his Gospel with the following two statements, Mark 16:15,20 NIV:

[15] "He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

[20] "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

Paul preached about the Kingdom, and we are told that was his primary message during his final years of ministry as related to us in the final two verses of The Acts of the Apostles - Acts 28:30-31 NIV:  "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. [31] He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ---with all boldness and without hindrance!"

Thus, we see the absolute centrality of the message of the Kingdom of God and Heaven in the Gospel.  This was the foundation of the Gospel.  There was a new Kingdom being proclaimed and demonstrated by Jesus, the Apostles and disciples, and it was good news.  The Kingdom of God was not associated with some territory, some geography, but rather exists in His subjects, or as Jesus said, its inside you (Luke 17:21 paraphrase).

A Kingdom, is quite literally the dominion of the King, and in this case God is the King.  His dominion is over all creation, and His subjects are where His Kingdom exists.  The miracles, signs and wonders worked through His power are demonstrations of this dominion, and confirm the proclamation of the Kingdom (Mark 16:20).  The King's dominion changes the laws under which we live, for His rule is the law of Kingdom, and His decrees have authority and power!  His kingdom (government) is ever advancing (Isa 9:7), which means it is never retreating.

We are called to continue the ministry of Jesus, as members of His Body here on earth, thus, we are representatives of His Kingdom, ambassadors in our own sphere of influence.  We are called to proclaim and demonstrate this Kingdom reality!  Obviously without His power or His authority we can do nothing except speak empty words.  Paul, understood this, and that is why he came in fear and trembling, as he writes in his letter 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NIV: "And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [2] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. [4] My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power."

Thus, I am encouraged once again to embrace this Gospel, to proclaim this Gospel and to pray for God to demonstrate the reality of this Good News through me.  The Good News is that He is our King, and His rule does extend over the lives of those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. I am encouraged to change my perspective about my life, for His dominion is over me!

Amen!  Come Lord Jesus, demonstrate Your Kingdom reality in my life!

Post Resurrection Reflection

This morning I am reflecting on some verses that occurred shortly after Jesus' Resurrection, found in Luke's Gospel.  I like the humanness of the encounters.  Here are the verses - Luke 24:36-49 NIV:

[36] "While they were still talking about this (Jesus appearing to the two on the road to Emmaus), Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

[37] "They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. [38] He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? [39] Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

[40] "When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. [41] And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” [42] They gave him a piece of broiled fish, [43] and he took it and ate it in their presence."

[44] "He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

[45] "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. [46] He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, [47] and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things. [49] I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

As I read this, I imagine the total panic that probably occurred when Jesus appeared in their midst!  Other Gospel writers note that the room was locked, and His disciples were essentially hiding.  It would definitely be unsettling to have someone suddenly appear in your midst!  Fear, shock and then joy and amazement were probably all mixed together in a very chaotic scene!  It is no wonder Jesus began with "Peace be with you!"

He then proved His identity by showing them His hands and feet, and while they were still afraid, He finally took some fish and ate it to prove that He was really there, alive and real, flesh and bones.  I find it interesting and quite believable that the disciples had a hard time believing that He was really there.  Their whole world had collapsed at His death, and some had witnessed His passion, His beating, His hanging on the cross, and even His death.  That is not something that one easily lets go of, or disbelieves.  They had witnessed the raising of Lazarus from the dead, but Jesus had done that and Jesus had died.  It was Him and His authority that had always been their source of authority and power, and without Him they likely thought they had none!

Jesus has great mercy on them, and begins to open their minds to the things He had already told them, but which they didn't understand at the time He said it. I can imagine it was very encouraging and at the same time very humbling to have the Lord walk back over all the things they should have learned the first time.  I am so encouraged that the Lord doesn't only give us one time to learn what He is teaching us. Jesus apparently reviewed with them the scriptural basis for all that had occurred, and then summarized the Gospel they were to preach, repentance and/for the forgiveness of sins in His name.  The purpose of this all as described earlier by Jesus, was that we might be restored to right relationship with the Father (e.g John 17).

Finally, Jesus tells them that He is going to send the Holy Spirit, and that He would empower them with power from on high.  I like that description, "power from on high".  The Greek is hupsos dunamis or heavenly power.   Clearly this is not power that originates here on earth, or is found in man, of his own effort.  This is power that originates in Heaven, and is poured upon and into His believers.  We see a great description of what Jesus was describing when Peter was preaching to gentiles - found in Acts 10:44-45 NIV: "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. [45] The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles."  This power from on high was evident and powerful to bring change!

Oh Lord, we pray for a greater outpouring in our own lives, in our churches to enable us to fulfill this mission to bring Your Gospel to all nations!  Let us not be afraid! Open our minds to Your scriptures, instruct us in Your ways, give us power from on high to enable us to accomplish all that You have purposed us to do!

Amen!

The Power of the Resurrection

This morning, instead of a typical Easter reflection, my heart was stirred by these words from Paul's letter to the Philippians 3:7-14 NIV:

[7] "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. [10] I want to know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."

[12] "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

I love these verses from Paul, and they are often used by the Lord to encourage me forward in my pursuit of Him.  Paul encapsulates so much of the Gospel in these few verses and captures the hunger that relationship with the Lord should inspire.  There is always more to learn and more to experience in the Lord, for there is no end to the increase of His Kingdom (Isa 9:7).

However, the real focus this morning is on Paul's statement concerning his desire to know the power of the resurrection.  We usually quote that part without adding the "participation in His sufferings", since we tend to want to revel in the power without any personal suffering or cost.  I know that is true for me, as well.  However, there is clearly an intimate connection between the knowledge of the power and the participation in the suffering.

Several years ago the movie, "The Passion of the Christ" was released and it presented the suffering of Christ in a most graphic representation.  I wouldn't say that would be what Paul is wiring about, but it certainly provided a much deeper insight into the passion of Jesus, what He suffered for our salvation.  I know having walked through the suffering of my sweetheart as she dealt with cancer, there is definitely a level of participation in her suffering that I can claim.  I also have a much greater empathy towards those that are suffering through cancer and its long term effects.  Short of actual scourging and crucifixion, we will never know the physical suffering of Christ, but we certainly can know the betrayal of trust, the condemnation and persecution that He experienced.  We can understand the suffering He went through for the love of someone else, and all of this is part of the "participation in his sufferings".

The power of the resurrection is something I struggle to grasp, for it is so much beyond my understanding of the way the world works.  In scripture, we are commissioned by Jesus to heal the sick and raise the dead, (Matt 10:8) yet most of us, in the American church, have never experienced the latter of the two.  However, that is not the case with the rest of the world, where raising from the dead is not uncommon.  In the scholarly book, "Miracles; the Credibility of the New Testament Accounts", Author Craig Keener, lists 20+ accounts of multiple people being raised from the dead in the twelfth chapter alone (He provides hundreds of footnotes, per chapter, so this is just a small sample of what he recorded).  Many of those listed are provided by first-hand witnesses.  We might off-handedly dismiss such accounts, but if one of them is true, then we must consider the possibility that this power to raise people from the dead is available, and is similar in some small way to the power of the resurrection.

We seem to have no problem believing that a villain in a movie will always come back to life for one last attack (or maybe they just aren't killed all the way), but we struggle to think that a loving God would answer the heart-felt prayers of His followers and restore life to someone.  I guess those are two completely different things, but they somewhat show the disjointed thinking that we allow to exist.  If God is real, and He what He says about Himself is true, then He does have power over death, and is the source of life.  If He hears prayers and is the source of life and the creator of all, then He should be able to restore life to one of His creations.  If the resurrection of Jesus is true, then He is an example of God's power to raise people from the dead.  If He commissioned us to pray for the sick and heal them, and raise the dead, then we should see people being raised from the dead, and the church world-wide (even in America) does! 

In summary, my encouragement today is to press further into the Lord, knowing that there is more to experience, more to understand, more to participate in His Kingdom, and in relationship with Him.  I do believe in the resurrection and in His power and authority to do what He says He can do.  I believe that healing, deliverance and seeing people raised f`rom the dead are part of our inheritance as His body present on the earth. I believe in the Resurrected Lord, who will come again.

Happy Easter!

A Holy Saturday Reflection

Today is Holy Saturday, and it has become a bit of a tradition for me to reflect on the state of the Apostles and disciples, following Jesus death, but prior to the Resurrection.  There is very little said about this in the Bible, but we can infer a few things from the little that is mentioned.  I am going to look at several verses.

Luke 23:55-56 NIV
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. [56] Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Luke 24:1 NIV
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

Mark 16:1 NIV
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.

Matthew 28:1 NIV
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

John 20:1-2 NIV
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. [2] So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!”

Now the sabbath of this week, was a High Sabbath (see John 19:31), which means it was a part of the seven days Feast of Unleavened Bread.  This feast was one of the major Jewish celebrations.  It is interesting that Matthew, Mark and Luke indicate clearly that the followers of Jesus observed this Sabbath.  The women waited to carry the spices to Jesus' body until after the Sabbath was over, for carrying any burden, which was considered work was forbidden.

We are told that the Last Supper was actually the Passover celebration, which is just one of the days in the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread. Here are the verses from Luke 22:7-8 NIV:  "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. [8] Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

Thus, we can make some assumptions about this High Sabbath.  It was a day that people gathered together to celebrate, it was a day of no-work, which specifically limited how far you could walk.  We know that Jesus had arranged a place for them all to meet for this important Feast, and they were in Jerusalem.  It is likely then that they were all gathered together in that place, trying to make sense of what had just happened.  I am not sure if they went through any of the usual customs associated with the celebration, and if they did I am sure they were of mixed emotion.  I would imagine it would be like trying to celebrate Christmas, a few days after losing a member of your family.

I would imagine that at this point, they were starting to recall all the times that Jesus had told them He was going to die.  We have multiple instances recorded in the Gospels, and the Gospel writers also tell us that the disciples didn't understand what Jesus meant, but now they were staring at the harsh reality of His death, and were surely wracking their minds to remember exactly what He had said, and what He said would happen after He died.

I would imagine there was plenty of self-accusation and shame over their abandoning of Jesus.  Their actions had been a far-cry from their oath to Jesus to die rather than abandon Him (Mark 14: 29-31).  Shame is a terrible thing to sit under, and here they were all under a similar weight, except for the loyal women who had stayed by Jesus until He died, and maybe John who was present at the foot of the Cross.  I have experienced the regrets that arise immediately after the death of a loved one, and I am sure that was going on as well, remembering all the things they had done, and thinking of the things they would want to say if they had Jesus back alive with them.  Suffice it to say that is was a very somber, and soul-searching day for the followers of Jesus.

For us, we know that Easter, the Resurrection follows, but for Jesus followers, they had no such understanding.  Even if they remembered Jesus saying He would rise again, that He was the Resurrection, they probably had very little hope.  We know this by the surprised responses of Peter and John, when they are told of Jesus' resurrection (See Luke 24:11 and John 20:3-9).  In fact, John goes so far as saying so - John 20:9 NIV: "(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)"

In summary, it seems this would have been one really dark and hopeless celebration for the followers of Jesus.  They were likely together, but had no real hope in the Resurrection. It seems to me that they were like the many of our fellow brothers and sisters who have not experienced the salvation available in Christ Jesus.  They might be getting ready to celebrate Easter, but they have no hope in the resurrection, no understanding of the sacrifice that Jesus made, and to them it is likely an empty celebration, where they gather to eat and do little else.  There might be celebrations of easter-egg hunts, and candy, but there is little real meaning or life changing understanding.

We, however are called to embrace the days of celebration, to anticipate the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, knowing that He is the first-born from the dead, giving us hope of real life after death, of eternal salvation and the true forgiveness of sins!  Easter is much more than a religious celebration of remembrance, it is the celebration of our daily ability to walk in relationship with God, and a celebration of our coming reunion with Him in Heaven.  It is eh defining celebration of our faith, for as Paul says - 1 Corinthians 15:13-14,17 NIV:

[13] "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14] And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

[17] "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."

Thank God, we know that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead!

Amen!

Jesus' Enduring Faith

This morning I am continuing my reflections on the happenings right before Jesus' passion, death and resurrection.  Today is Holy Thursday, and often the main focus is the Last Supper, and rightly so, for that event and the conversations and prayers that occurred then are key elements to our faith.  This morning through, I am going to spend some time reflecting on the beginning of Jesus' passion, which starts in the Garden prior to His betrayal.  All four of the Gospels have accounts of this, but I am going to use the one found in Matthew 26:36-46 NIV:

[36] "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” [37] He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. [38] Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

[39] Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

[40] Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. [41] “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

[42] He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” [43] When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. [44] So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

[45] Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. [46] Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”


The first thing that ran through my mind this morning, as I was reading through the different accounts of Jesus' time in the garden, was that Jesus was clearly sorrowful about what was to come, but also was sorrowful about leaving His disciples and the 12.  This group of men were His closest companions, and HE knew the impact that His coming passion and death would have on them.

Lately, I have been really seeing and reflecting on His love for and compassion towards His followers.  Jesus had come to reveal the Father, and these were the men that He had chosen and entrusted with all He had shared and taught. He came to restore the ability to have relationship with the Father, and His Gospel was founded on relationships - ours with God and ours with each other.  Thus, His relationships with these men were the bonds that united them, gave them purpose, and set their destinies in place.  As a representative of the Father, and as man, Jesus knew the great grief that would soon overwhelm them.

The second thing that struck me was the weakness of the Peter, James and John.  These were his closest companions amongst the 12, and He had just spoken of their coming abandonment of Him, and now mere hours later they fail to do what He asks, for them to keep watch with Him.  I am sure as the next events unfolded they beat themselves up over and over again about their inability to stay awake during their last hours with Jesus.  I am just so aware of our human frailty, our weakness and inability, and yet Jesus was entrusting the Church into their hands, so clearly He had a better perspective.

This gives me encouragement that in the midst of my own weakness and frailty, that the Lord has a different perspective about me, and it is not affected by my failures or sin.  He knows who I am, and knows who I become, and all that I will ever accomplish.  He still chooses me as a companion, and even thought I fail in what He asks me to do, He does not lose faith in me.  I am reminded of something Paul wrote that basically says that exact thing.  Here is Paul's take on that topic found in 2 Timothy 2:13 NIV:  "if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

Lord, thank You for Your enduring faith in me, Your enduring faith in the Church.  Even though we are weak and frail, You are strong! 

Amen!

Hope In Our Failures and Failed Commitments

This morning I am continuing my Holy Week reflections, looking at things that occurred that week before Jesus' death and Resurrection.  This morning I am reflecting on a few verses from Matthew 26:31-35 NIV:

[31] "Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “ 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' [32] But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

[33] Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

[34] “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

[35] But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same."


I was reading through Matthew's Gospel, and these verses just grabbed my attention, not for the awesome spiritual value, but rather because of the realness and humanity of the interaction.  Jesus is prophetically describing to them what will happen, even speaking about His rising from the dead, but the Apostles, all seem to miss that and focus instead on His calling out their weakness.

I know if anyone criticizes me, I have a hard time listening to anything else they are saying as I am instantly in defensive mode, trying to show that they are wrong in their critique.  Its not one of my better attributes.  We see that is exactly how Peter and the rest respond.  They totally miss Jesus' comment about going ahead of them to Galilee after He is risen, and are instead still focused on His statement about them falling away.  Peter even has the audacity to step in front of His brother and the other Apostles and claim that even if they fail, he will never!  Yikes!  Talk about pride rising up! 

This reminds me of all the times I have committed to the Lord something, doing better in some area, or doing something great for Him, and then through my own weakness or lack of follow-through, failing in my commitment.  Obviously this situation that the Apostles will soon find themselves in is much more intense than pretty much anything I will ever see, but the failed commitments and sense of shame that follows is no less. 

I love how the Lord, after speaking to their failure, immediately speaks of their continuing in ministry with Him (meeting in Galilee). I am so glad that even though the Lord knows my weaknesses, my failures and and my proclivity to sin, He still always has plans and purpose for me, calling me forward into the next opportunity.  Where we would disqualify ourselves, He will never disqualify us! 

My two final thoughts on this situation are first, that the Apostles didn't have the Holy Spirit yet, and from the church records, once filled with Him, they never abandoned Jesus again.  Secondly, the Lord in His mercy and compassion completely restored the Apostles and Peter, as recorded in John 21.  Jesus didn't just act like nothing happened, but instead took time specifically to restore Peter, who in his pride had boasted that he would die before he ever abandoned Jesus.  He will never leave us hanging onto our fears and doubts, concerning our qualification to represent Him.  If we let Him, He will put all of that to rest in our hearts, even as He did for Peter.

What a wonderful Lord He is!

The Beauty of Obedience

This morning I felt like reflecting on some of the events that happened just prior to Jesus' passion, death and resurrection.  I opened my bible to Mark and started reading and was captivated by the story of the woman with perfume.  This happened right before the events in Jerusalem.  The story is recounted in Mark 14:3-9 NIV:

[3] "While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head."

[4] "Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? [5] It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly."

[6] “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. [7] The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. [8] She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. [9] Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

My reflection starts with the woman.  I was wondering what it was that drove her to come and pour perfume on Jesus?  I would think this is not a normal thing to do to someone.  If we look back in scripture we see that Aaron and his sons were anointed as priests in Exodus 29, by having anointing oil poured over their head.  We also see in 1 Samuel 10 and 16, Samuel anointing Saul and then David as Kings over Israel.  Thus, the anointing with oil was well known, but seemed to be reserved for events of great significance, and specifically as a prophetic sign.

I believe this is exactly what the woman was doing, she was proclaiming prophetically that Jesus was both Priest and King, and we see Jesus later referred to with both of these titles, e.g. Heb 4:14 and John 19:9.  I believe that she was moved to this act by the Holy Spirit, raising up in her the faith and desire to obey this idea that she suddenly had received.  I mean imagine yourself sitting there, maybe as a follower of Jesus, and suddenly you have this idea that you should go and pour a whole bottle of very expensive perfume on Jesus' head!  Mark specifically recounts that this bottle was very expensive, worth a  years wages!  Imagine blowing a whole years wages on one prophetic act!  Wow!  That in my mind, requires some very specific direction from the Lord!

So back to the woman, she finally decides that she must do this thing, and finally finds Jesus in the home of Simon the Leper (I am sure there is quite the story about Simon as well), and she just goes in, interrupting the meal, and pours the whole bottle on His head.  I am sure she was totally focused on Jesus, and just knew she had to do this to Him.  As soon as she does this the people rebuke her harshly!  I can just imagine her being shocked into awareness, and feeling utterly condemned before Jesus for her extravagant waste.  Talk about awkward moments...

What I love about this story is that Jesus immediately defends her, telling them to leave her alone!  I imagine the whole room went silent at that point, for the command of Jesus certainly carries weight.  Then He describes what she has done as beautiful!  I would love to hear Jesus say that about anything I have ever done!  He doesn't just thank her politely, and move on, instead He focuses specifically on what she has done and points forward to His impending suffering and death, a third prophetic meaning of her act of obedience.  He calls her act beautiful and recognizes that this was one of the key moments in His life and a part of the Gospel, even if everyone else missed it.

Finally, this pouring forth of perfume is often seen as extravagant worship, and that too makes perfect sense.  She came to Jesus, embraced him and poured forth an extravagant offering.  We know from John's Gospel (Chap. 12) that the woman, unnamed here and in Matthew's Gospel, is actually Mary the sister of Lazarus, who has recently been raised form the dead.  As we look back on the prophetic unction upon Mary and her worship of Jesus, it now makes more sense, for clearly Jesus had demonstrated that He was the Messiah.  Interestingly, the Greek word for Messiah is Christos, and it means the anointed.  Thus, Mary in her beautiful and extravagant worship and obedience, has prophetically anointed the Anointed one!  Wow!

My final reflection is on the judgment that she came under by those in attendance, most likely other followers of Jesus.  It saddens my heart to know that there have been times that I have had the same response to someone worshipping extravagantly, or stepping out in obedience to do something radical for God.  I wonder how often we miss what God is doing or saying because of our judgment. I wonder how often I haven't stepped out in faith and obedience because of my fear of judgment!

I am reminded once again of Jesus words - calling this act of obedience, selflessness, abandonment and extravagance, beautiful!  Oh, that I would have the courage and faith to render unto Jesus something beautiful!

Amen!

A Reflection on the Washing of Feet

A couple of days ago I was thinking about the time that Jesus washed His disciple's feet, and I was struck by a thought, that this was a precursor to His crucifixion.  I have never had that thought before, that I can remember, so I figured I should spend some time fleshing it out, especially since this is Holy Week.

Here is the story, from the Gospel of John 13:2-17 NIV:

[2] "The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. [3] Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; [4] so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. [5] After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

[6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

[7] Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

[8] “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

[9] “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

[10] Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” [11] For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

[12] "When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. [13] “You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. [14] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. [15] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. [16] Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. [17] Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

The particular thought that ran through my mind, was how Jesus had basically bared His upper body, taking off His outer garments.  I am not sure if we can make that assumption and the Greek is unclear, but I know if I took off my outer garments, I would be bare chested.

Anyway, I was thinking that in the baring of Himself, taking a towel around his waist and becoming as a servant, He was embracing the complete humiliation that He would endure on the cross in a very short while.

I was thinking of the complete vulnerability He had in front of His friends.  He didn't hide himself in shame, or out of pride, but uncovered Himself and served them as a lowly servant would do.

I was thinking that the cleansing of the feet, the dirt and dung from the world, is very symbolic of His cleansing us of all our sins, and all the affects of the world.

I was thinking that each time Jesus bent down to wash another of the disciple's feet, He had to unwrap the towel, again embracing humility for each and every one He touched.  His love for us is so personal and intimate.

I was thinking that here, He voluntarily stripped off His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist, in humility, and the next day Jesus had his clothes stripped off him forcefully, and this precursor was an example of His choosing willingly to go to the cross.

Finally, I was thinking of the striking image of complete contrasts this would provide to those who witnessed the coming events, seeing His body one day, whole and healthy compared to the next day when He was beaten and bloody!  It is clear that this was all embraced and accepted by the Lord, for love of us all.

I guess in my mind, I could see this image of Jesus kneeling in front of them, bare chested with a towel wrapped around His waist playing as a flash-back in the minds of the disciples, as they saw Him stripped and beaten.

Oh, that we would grasp even a small bit of all that Jesus has done for us, in setting us free, in paying the price for our sins, in taking on the punishment for us all!  That we might understand His intimate love!  His humility and service! That we might do as He has done (verse 15 above).

Lord, help us to learn to love each other as You loved us!  Help us to serve and love and embrace humility.  Let us be thankful for Your amazing love and sacrifice.

Confirming the Gospel

This morning my heart is stirred around a theme that has been on my heart for years, that of seeing miracles and healing as a regular expression and experience of God's Kingdom, present here on earth, embodied in the church.  I have been looking at the following verses form John's Gospel for many years - and felt my heart drawn back here again this morning.  Here are the verses - John 14:9-14 NIV:

[9] "Jesus answered: “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

This is such a rubber-meets-the-road kind of verse.  This is effectively the core of Jesus' teaching and ministry described in a few sentences.  Jesus came to reveal the Father.  He did this by saying what the Father told Him to say and doing what the Father told Him to do.   He was representing the Father to us, as His Son, and it was the authority and power, presented in the completed miracles that testified to His identity and confirmed His message.  He was proclaiming and demonstrated His Father's reign and rule, the Kingdom of God.  He released this same ministry unto His followers, and here Jesus reiterates that ministry invitation and promise.

Mark captured the importance of these verses in his final few verses of His Gospel, as follows - Mark 16:15-20 NIV:

[15] "He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. [16] Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. [17] And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [18] they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” [19] After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. [20] Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."


Luke wrote the a very thing in His book recording the Acts of the Apostles as follows - Acts 14:1-3 NIV:

[1]At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. [2] But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. [3] So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.


Paul in His letter to church in Corinth, described a quite similar minsitry - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NIV:

[1] "And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [2] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. [4] My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power."


Thus, this morning, I am once again stirred to ask the Lord, to release in our midsts, into our churches, an awareness, authority and power to proclaim the Gospel, proclaim the Kingdom and see it confirmed through the signs and wonders that worked through the power of the Holy Spirit!  Yes, Lord!  Come!

Amen!

Grace and Truth: The Revelation of the Father

This morning I am reflecting on the first chapter of John's Gospel.  I love his gospel, the imagery and phasing he uses, but mostly I love the way he describes Jesus, as one who clearly knew him.  He was clearly writing with a purpose, and was writing later than the others, and addressing many of the false ideas that were already popping up in the church.

Here is the introduction to the Gospel of John from John Gill's exposition of the Bible.

"The author of this Gospel is John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, the brother of James the greater; he outlived the rest of the disciples, and wrote this Gospel after the other evangelists; and in it many things are recorded, which are not in the other Gospels; as various discourses of Christ, and miracles done by him; several incidents in his life, and circumstances that attended his sufferings and death: the occasion of it is generally thought to be the errors of Ebion and Cerinthus, who denied the divinity of Christ, asserted he was a mere man, and that he did not exist before his incarnation; and the design of it is to confute them: and it is easy to observe, that he begins his Gospel with the divinity of Christ; asserts him to be God, and proves him to be truly and properly so, by the works of creation, which were wrought by him, as well as shows that he was really man. Clemens calls this Gospel of John, pneumatikon euaggelion "a spiritual Gospel", as indeed it is; consisting of the spiritual discourses of our Lord, on various occasions, both at the beginning, and in the course of his ministry, and especially a little before his sufferings and death: and the same writer observes, that John, the last of the evangelists, considering that in the other Gospels were declared the things relating to the body of Christ, that is, to him, as he was after the flesh; to his genealogy and birth as man; to what was done to him, or by him, in his infancy; to his baptism, temptations, journeys, &c. at the request of his familiar friends, and moved by the Spirit of God, composed this Gospel. Moreover, it is observed by some, that the other three evangelists only record what was done by Christ, in one year after John the Baptist was cast into prison, as appears from Matthew 4:12 wherefore John, at the entreaty of his friends, put these things into his Gospel, which were done or said by Christ, before John was cast into prison. He was called very early by Christ, though young; and was with him throughout the whole of his ministry, and was an eye and ear witness of what he here relates, and his testimony is to be received; he was the beloved disciple, he leaned on the bosom of Jesus, and had great intimacy with him; and might be privy to some things, which others were not acquainted with; and though he was a Galilean, and an unlearned man, Acts 4:13 yet being endowed with the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, he was abundantly qualified to write this book: for what some ancient writers say of him, that he was a priest, and wore a plate, that is, of gold upon his forehead, cannot be true, since he was not of the tribe of Levi; and besides, only the high priest wore that upon his mitre; unless they mean, as seems most likely, that he was a Christian bishop: perhaps the mistake may arise from John the Baptist, who was of the priestly order, and is called by some Jewish writers, John the high priest. When and where this Gospel was written, is not certain; some say in Asia, after he had wrote his Revelation in Patmos; and others say particularly, that it was wrote at Ephesus; the title of it in the Syriac version, signifies much, which runs thus;"the holy Gospel, the preaching of John, which he spoke and published in Greek at Ephesus.'And to the same purpose is the title of it in the Persic version;"the Gospel of John, one of the twelve apostles, which was spoken in the city of Ephesus, in the Greek Roman tongue.'"

That is such a helpful introduction, and helps set the stage for my reflection this morning.  I am going to start just past his opening, looking at John's statements found early in the chapter, describing the gifts of God given to us in Christ Jesus.  Here are the verses - John 1:14,16-18 NIV:

[14] "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

[16] "Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known."

First, I should say other translations will quote verse 16 as "grace upon grace" rather than the phrasing found here, but the original Greek seems to be more akin to the way the NIV translates it here, grace in place of grace.  The Greek word is "charis" and it is defined as follows:

1) grace
     a) that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
2) good will, loving-kindness, favour
     a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
3) what is due to grace
     a) the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace
     b) the token or proof of grace, benefit
         1) a gift of grace
         2) benefit, bounty
4) thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward

We could in our modern English possibly replace grace with gift, and while that is often done, we see here the depth of the meaning is beyond simple gifts.  There is something tangible, something that is soul-touching about grace.  It is not just a nice gift that we can admire, but rather has to do with our well being at our deepest level.

John writes that this grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  He very simply identifies this grace and truth in verse 18, the revelation of the Father by the only one who can truly reveal Him, His Son Jesus.  What an interesting thought - this grace, this great gift is an understanding of who the Father is, and how He thinks and how He speaks.

John records several times where Jesus made astounding statements about His intimacy and obedience to the Father.  Here are some of his statements found in John's Gospel:

John 5:19-20 NIV:
[19] "Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. [20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed."


John 7:16 NIV:
[16] "Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me."


John 8:19,28-29 NIV:
[19] "Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

[28] "So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. [29] The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”


John 10:34-38 NIV:
[34] "Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are “gods” ' ? [35] If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came---and Scripture cannot be set aside--- [36] what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? [37] Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. [38] But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”


John 12:44-45,49-50 NIV:
[44] "Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. [45] The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."

[49] "For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. [50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”


John 14:9-11 NIV
[9] "Jesus answered: “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves."


Thus, this morning I am encouraged to dive deeper into this grace and truth, this revelation of the Father, seen through Jesus' life and words, His actions and love for us all!  I am encouraged to read deeper, to think deeper, to look deeper into Jesus, to see in him the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3) and to believe that the Father is exactly as Jesus represents Him.

Amen!

Miracles & Healings: Normal Indicators?

Yesterday I was reflecting on some verses from Paul's letter to the Galatians, and when I went to copy it over to my blog, somehow deleted the whole thing...:-(

Oh well, technology is a wonderful blessing, and sometimes frustrating.  I am going to revisit that reflection this morning.  Here are the verses - Galatians 3:1-5 NIV:

[1] "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. [2] I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? [3] Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? [4] Have you experienced so much in vain---if it really was in vain? [5] So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?"

Paul was clearly perturbed with the Galatians as they were believing some visitors that they must also embrace the works of the Law in addition to believing in Christ Jesus.  This was in direct contrast to the Gospel of Grace, and Paul confronts them front and center.  While I could spend some time looking at that works mentality, I am going to spend my time looking at the verse that caught my attention, namely verse five.

What caught my eye was Paul's use of the fact that God was working miracles in their midst as a reminder of the Gospel of Grace.  I was thinking how many churches in our day would not be able to relate to that statement, because we don't see many miracles, or maybe even don't believe in miracles.  Many churches do not use the fact that they are seeing miracles, as their calling card, at least that is true here in America.

The interesting thing is that Miracles are as prevalent today as they ever were, and yet somehow, we in the Western church are largely unaware.  I read an awesome book recently, "Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts" by Craig S. Keener.  It is an amazing look at both the New Testament and today, and the prevalence of miracles through out the history of the church.  He takes a very scholarly approach (He is a professor) and has thousands of footnotes and descriptions of countless miracles and healings.

In one of the chapters, he summarizes a 2006 study of 10 Countries (US, and 3 countries from each of the following regions:  Asia, Africa and South America) as follows:

"For these countries alone, and for Pentecostals and charismatics in these countries alone, the estimated total of people claiming to have “witnessed divine healings” comes out to somewhere around 202,141,082, that is, about two hundred million. Among Pentecostals, an average of 73.6 percent claim to have witnessed or experienced divine healing, and among charismatics the proportion is 52 percent; given estimates of possibly half a billion Pentecostals and charismatics worldwide, we might be looking at claims of closer to three hundred million among them alone.[ 154]"

Think about that, in 10 countries alone, there could be as many as 200 Million healings and miracles!  That is an incredible number, and that is just from two stream in the church, the Pentecostal and Charismatics!

Why am I thinking about this issue today?  I believe that healings and miracles are foundational to the Gospel.  They demonstrate God's presence active on the earth.  They represent God touching people's lives in real ways!  Jesus, when He was sending out the Apostles for the first "Apostolic tour" gave them the following charge, found in Matthew 10:7-8 NIV: "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

The Gospel of Grace, is all about relationship, all about individual lives being changed, lives and families affected positively by God.  Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom of God, which represents a paradigm shift of individual relationship with God and God's dominion being reestablished over our lives.  The proof of this Kingdom reality is seen in the demonstrations of healing, deliverance, cleansing of diseases and raising individuals from the dead.  That is exactly what Jesus told the Apostles to preach and demonstrate.

As I am once again confronted by the words of Paul, pointing to the healing and miracles they were seeing in Galatia, my heart is stirred to press into our inheritance as a part of the Body of Christ, for we are responsible to represent the ministry of Jesus to the world around us.  I am encouraged to press into the Lord, looking for and believing in the active demonstration of the Kingdom of God in our midst!  I am encouraged that being Christian is much more than being nice to my neighbors and those I meet, it involves representing the Kingdom of God active and alive.  I am encouraged to believe that we can see an increase in healings and miracles even in our midst!  I am encouraged that one day soon, the Church worldwide will once more be known as a place of healings and miracles!

Amen!

Releasing the Torrent

This morning I am reflecting on some of Paul's writings from his letter to the Church in Ephesus.  Paul does such a great job of expanding our thinking around the Church and God's plans and desires for us.  The following verses are some of my favorites, in the call to think bigger - Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV:

[14] "For this reason I kneel before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. [16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

[20] "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

The first line is Paul talking about how he prays these next verses for the church, and so should we!  What a great prayer for our local congregations, and for the church at large! 

As I read these verses through in total, the sense I get is that there is SO MUCH MORE than what we are presently experiencing!  Notice the foundation, the root of all is love!  It is Love that should be our founding principle, Love for God and Love for each other!  If we aren't rooted and established in love, then we are going to be producing the wrong fruit.  Please note that God's love for us is what motivates all of this in the first place (See John 3:16-17).

Secondly, this Love is far greater than we can grasp.  Paul's specific prayer is that we might have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is Christ's love, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.  That is such an interesting statement, we don't usually think we need power to know something, we need intelligence and the ability to understand. 

As I was thinking about this, I had the image of trying to control a fire-hose pop into my mind.  I don't know if you have ever tried to hold a proper fire-hose, attached to a fire hydrant, but there is real power in that flow of water.  It takes power to control and direct this flow of water.  I used to work on my college's grounds crew and we used to flood our hockey rink (I lived in MN) with a fire hose.  The first time I tried to control the fire-hose, it flung me all over the place.  I have attached a picture showing two firemen working to control one hose, and that is highly recommended.

As I imagine God's love being unleashed in its full capacity, I imagine that would be like a mighty river, not just a hose.  We would need power to be able to stand or swim within it.  We would need power to be able to direct it, for that is one of the roles of the Church.  We are now the Body of Christ on earth, continuing His ministry of Love, directing it and letting it pour forth out of us.  We are supposed to have rivers of living water pouring forth from us (John 7:38).  Imagine a river of God's love rushing out of your heart!  That is what I am seeing this morning!  We are meant to release a torrent of God's love that washes over all those we meet, cleansing and bringing healing and eternal life.

Oh Lord, we pray that You would do more than all we ask or even imagine, according to Your power which is at work in us!  Yes Lord!  Release the torrents of Your LOVE!

Amen!