The Fullness of Time

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

One day, a couple of months ago I was out walking, trying to squeeze in my daily exercise necessary to keep me well balanced in body, mind, and spirit. I was approximately 26 weeks pregnant at the time and acutely aware of anything that might be amiss with the young life I was forming. About half way through my walk I began to experience extreme discomfort and cramping. Naturally the first thing that raced to mind was that something was wrong with the baby. Everything in me screamed out, “NO! IT’S NOT TIME!” Shortly thereafter I ruled that idea out as I realized the source of pain came from elsewhere and eventually subsided. But in that brief moment of panic a phrase jumped to the forefront of my mind, “the fullness of time.” I was not sure why that phrase in particular came to mind and so I pondered it in my heart for several weeks, allowing the phrase to form into a fully developed thought.

Several years ago my precious niece was born at 25 weeks gestation and I recall the extreme measures and challenges my sister faced as they struggled to bring this young life into viability and maturity. The thoughts of that experience ran through my mind as I faced the reality of giving birth prematurely. Numerous months in the NICU, accompanied by various surgeries, and the unforgiving element of time finally led to a healthy and flourishing young girl. I thought of all the grief that could have been avoided had she only been able to wait a few additional weeks in utero to reach full development.

As I mulled over this following my small 26 week scare, I gradually realized the similarities between God’s desire to birth within us and man’s frequent attempts to prioritize his own timing before God’s timing. All too often we fail to realize that God knows exactly when “the fullness of time” is to be reached and we surge ahead unawares of the dangers presented by our impatience and recklessness to birth before it is time. (I am not speaking here of “birthing” in a salvation sense but of all projects, ministries, and works God attempts to bring to fruition within us.) We think to ourselves, “I am ready. I am viable. I can do this on my own.” We know that God has a plan in mind but we lack the patience to allow Him to bring it to “full term”. In our inability to be sensitive to His Spirit’s timing we birth prematurely and immaturely into existence a work that God must then mend into a state of survivability. We then question God and His plans when all along He is saying to us, “But you did not wait for MY timing.” You see, it is possible to be in tune with WHAT God has in store for us but far too often we lose sight of the WHEN of God’s plan.

We must remember that within God’s plan “the fullness of time” is always His desire and we must wait for that most perfect time. It is easy to mistake the signs of labor as they will often phase in and out as a warning of the approaching event, but I exhort you to wait through those times. There will arrive an unmistakable moment when the Spirit of God will overwhelm you with the undeniable urge to “push” forward with all your might. It is at that moment that you will know: THIS is the fullness of HIS time. May we be people who birth maturely for God; trusting in His omniscience, and waiting on His timing.

The Virtuous Woman

(For all those women who have read the description of the Proverbs 31 woman and been incredibly frustrated... this is for you.)
Last year as I was working on my book about the feminine side of God I encountered the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 in an all new light. As I delved into this woman’s character I realized she was not who I had traditionally understood her to be, but was so much more. Since I was writing a book about femininity using the entirety of Scripture I did not have as much time as I would have liked to expound on the virtuous woman directly. The last several months the women of my church have been going through a study on the women of the Bible and one of the chapters is dedicated entirely to the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. This week we finally arrived at her chapter and I must admit the emptiness of her presentation greatly annoyed me. And so I am compelled to write more about her since I believe we have sorely misunderstood who this woman is and who her image impacts.

My first question, which was not adequately answered was, “Why include this description at all?” The study explained it as a means for women to understand what is desirable to God in a woman and secondly what a man should look for in finding a wife. Both those reasons I happen to agree with but they do not go deep enough and do not answer the most important question – Why? Why does God desire for woman to carry these characteristics? The answer was simple for me in light of the writings I felt inspired to write last year but I have never heard anyone else say them. I will start answering the question by asking a question. In all the history of mankind have you ever seen or known God to exalt or honor characteristics that are not first and foremost His own? The answer is – no! So we must conclude firstly that these are characteristics of God and secondly that they were the motivation behind His design of Eve when He created her in His image in the beginning. With this understanding we must now define these characteristics and search Scripture for their direct application to God. Fortunately we do not have very far to go since King Solomon wrote extensively about the feminine side of God and we find most of it in Proverbs. What I have put together in the following chart is a list of the verses concerning the virtuous woman and then compared them to the correlating verses that speak of the same characteristics in God.





The most clarifying component of this chart is the understanding of why this woman is so difficult to attain or become. If God took all of His feminine goodness and invested it into a physical form, this is what she would look like. I believe this was God’s intent when creating Eve but because of our now fallen nature we look a lot more like Folly than we do this woman Wisdom. And that’s the down and dirty truth of it. We sinned and personified Folly. When God scolded Adam for listening to Eve it was not because men should never listen to women. Adam was scolded because he listened to Folly and not Wisdom. Eve spoke out of a fallen nature and therefore spoke Folly. This carries support throughout Proverbs as Wisdom says over and over, “Listen to my words.” Naturally if you listen to the words of Wisdom it is not wrong, and if a woman is properly personifying Wisdom then she is worthy to be listened to. Where the wrong enters the picture is when you lack the discernment to recognize Wisdom from Folly. If you are not aware of whom Folly is you may find her also in Proverbs. Her name in Hebrew is Ivveleth; I call her “Poison Ivy” for short… how appropriate. She mocks and mimics Chokmah, or Wisdom, twisting and corrupting her character.

The question remains: why include these virtues if they are unattainable? Well… at the time this was written, that was the simple truth; these characteristics, although they were God’s standard, were unattainable. But now we have Christ who is born within us and cultivates godly characteristics and virtues in our lives every day. This woman is no longer beyond our reach but she still takes a lot of time and effort to arrive at and one may only find her through Christ. How many times do you read through the various fruits of the Spirit and not stop and think, “Hey, I could definitely use some more ___________”? The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is the same concept. We will always be lacking but through Christ we can attain more and more of her character.

Now we come to the question of who her image impacts. The virtuous woman, being a physical reflection of the femininity God possesses, impacts all things feminine. That means she defines me as a physical woman. She defines the emotions (feminine in relation to the masculine mind) of all mankind. She defines the souls (feminine in relation to the masculine heart) of mankind. She defines even the bride – the Church. And so we must look upon this virtuous woman of Proverbs in a slightly different light now. We must analyze how we as a Church are reflecting upon our groom, Jesus Christ. Can we as a Church say we embody all of these characteristics? Do we clothe our family? Do we open our arms to the needy and poor? Are we good stewards and diligent with our resources? Do our actions cause Christ to be well known and respected at the city gates? If we do not, should we not then be focusing with great intent on being a virtuous bride? Is our goal not for the Spirit to look on us and proclaim, “She is ready. It is time for the groom to approach.” and then take our hand and in one voice make that most precious request, “Come, Lord Jesus.”? It bears some thought. The parting question I ask of anyone who would read this is how can you better incorporate these characteristics into not only the femininity you possess whether it is woman, emotion, or soul but also into the femininity of the bride of Christ – His Church?

The Affirmer and The Accuser

Dedicated to my father on this Father's Day 2009.

Disclaimer: If you have any delusions regarding my perfection, read no further... this could shatter that pedestal, otherwise keep reading.

As most people can relate to in their own lives, my past consists of many adventures both good and bad, feats great and small, and tales murky and clear. All these elements add up to one main pursuit in life - my search for identity.

I recall vividly the year when my life assumed purpose in Christ and oddly enough it was well after conversion and many years into adulthood. The initial struggle I fought with narrowed down to this question, "How much of my past must dictate my present identity and overshadow my future?" Obviously one cannot discount the importance of the past in being a schoolteacher to us. After all, the past is the ONLY element of time that carries in it perfect clarity (ie: hindsight is 20/20). And so the purpose of the past must be to teach, so that with the knowledge accumulated from the past we may consummate that knowledge with the wisdom of the present and give birth to understanding in the future.

Taking into account the significance of the past, I was unsure of what to do with the negative elements. Obviously i can learn from them, but must they identify who I am? The answer is, apart from God, yes the past becomes who I am. But a miraculous transformation takes place when one adds God to the equation of life. As the divine nature is born within us and begins to mature and grow in us, God gives to us a most precious gift - His identity and His past. While my physical past continues to teach me, my identity is no longer defined by it but is defined by the Heavenly Father Himself, as He cultivates Christ within me.

And now we enter into the struggle all mankind faces in realizing identity - the age old battle between the Affirmer and the Accuser. This battle recently played itself out in a very real way for me, much to both my joy and dismay.

During a recent trip to visit my family, my father assumed a blessed and divine role bestowed on all fathers - the affirmer. When this role is exercised in the image of God it affirms those around it. Apart from the image of God it takes on a corrupt nature and turns into the role of the accuser - both roles struggle to identify us.

My father offered me words of affirmation; words that praised my role as a wife and how he had seen me change into a woman who honors and respects her husband even in difficult times and circumstances. He praised my role as a mother and my diligence in simultaneously caring for my children and my own health. He praised my maturity as a daughter of God and exhorted me in continuing to offer to others out of that growth. As he spoke these words I heard the words of the Heavenly Father echoing out of them, "This is my daughter, whom I love. In her I am well pleased." (Matt 3:17). At the time, an element of that relationship escaped me. I forgot the nature of the accuser and his habitual appearance following moments of affirmation, to attempt to incapacitate us through whatever means he can grasp onto to attack our divine identity. (Matt 4:1-11).

But come, he did. The accuser (not my father just for clarification) appeared and began his assault in every aspect recently affirmed. He attacked my role as wife, wielding my past at me, pummeling me again and again with it. He attacked my role as a mother and in the final blows attempted to strip even my identity in Christ from me. And then he was gone. As I lay broken, striped, and ashamed on the proverbial floor, I cried out to God, not understanding what I was to do in light of this clear assault on every fiber of my being. Did the accuser have the right to hurl my past at me in an attempt to undo what good work God was doing in me?

A most miraculous encounter ensued at this point. The Ancient of Days reached down through the ages, weaving His way through my past and came to stand over me. His voice echoed from His Word unfolding an all too familiar conversation to me.

"Daughter, where are your accusers?"

I know this conversation...

"They have gone."

"Then neither do I condemn you."

He called me daughter... relief washed over me as I realized my identity in Him was still intact; that the Great Affirmer's words continued to define who I was. My own father's words again rang clearly in my ears, "You are a good wife, a good mother, and a good daughter." The words of the accuser fell dead to the ground, impotent and puny next to the Giver of all that is good.

I do not resent or hate the vessel of the accuser's choosing. My heart feels compassion and sorrow for the hatred harbored that allows the accuser to manipulate him to his purposes. But discernment allows me to separate the two - to hate the accuser but to love the man. If I cannot forgive the man, then do I not perpetuate a cycle of hatred and sin? And so I forgive.

My words are formed to speak to fathers during this week that commemorates the magnificence of fatherhood; to bring awareness to the divine nature within you that reflects the image of God - the role you carry as fathers to offer identity and affirmation. But my words also carry warning to those who would corrupt this precious gift of God in an attempt to identify through accusation. Choose wisely. Whose nature will you reflect? The Affirmer or the Accuser?

The Spirit and Power of Elijah

“And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17) “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:6)

What does Elijah have to do with it all? This is the question that started it all off. How may Elijah have performed this function of father to son in his own life? Elijah did not have a son… or did he? This is where I began my embargo on this journey to understand “the spirit and power of Elijah” and how it affects us today and more specifically how it affects my generation and our fathers and someday our sons.

My sensitivity to this issue was piqued in February as I studied the increased focus in our present day on the emerging and next generations. Much emphasis is being placed on the need to release young new leaders (a much needed function within the Church) but little to no emphasis (probably due to its over emphasis in previous generations) on the role of the young and new in relationship to their leaders. My view of God is that He is the absolute figure of balance and so when we flush to either extreme we emphasize characteristics that have the potential to destroy in their imbalance. My preparation of this teaching is therefore to formulate a balanced view of the mentor/mentoree relationship and the beauty of its fullness in prosperity when conducted properly in love.

In this journey we must travel back to the days of King Ahab and the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19). The point in time we travel to in particular is after Elijah’s tremendous feat in the face of the nation in opposing the prophets of Baal. Following this particular event, Elijah is overcome by fear and runs for his life. Herein lays Elijah’s greatest failure: in the course of giving into a spirit of fear he also succumbs to a spirit of despair and resolves that his life is over. Elijah is under the impression that he is the only living prophet left and that all the others serving God have been killed and yet he desires to give up. What would have happened if Elijah had been allowed to give up at this point in time? Who would carry on the work of the Lord through prophetic ministry? As is typical of despair it often prompts us to entertain selfish thoughts in the extremes of self preservation or total abandon. Elijah’s situation was no different. First he gave in to the extreme of self preservation and ran and then he gave in to total abandon and lay down to die. It is in this moment of weakness that God confronts Elijah with a “simple, silent, and yet strikingly thundering in its implications” phrase: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” What was Elijah doing? The answer is—nothing! Elijah had given up on a hope and a future and was not investing himself into anything. God’s reply—not acceptable! Go anoint a successor, Elisha (and two others while you’re at it) and start planning for a future. Life does not end with you! That is the essence of what God tells Elijah to do.

Anointing a successor has always been a difficult task for mankind to accomplish. To name a successor is a morbid thought. Naming a successor is admitting one’s own mortality and the fact that you will not always be around. But it removes focus from self and begins a process of investing hope in a future. Kings and leaders all throughout history have taken issue with naming a successor. There are of course fears and dangers associated with this function. It puts into motion a particular relational dynamic that is dependent on the compliance of two parties and involvement thereof. One may choose to invest in the future through the anointing of a successor but the appointee having the gift of free will may also choose not to honor in this sense his “father”. History is chalked full of stories involving sons and military coups, overthrowing of powers and all out abuse from those desiring power. Selecting a successor is a step of faith but one that is necessary for the continuation of life—even spiritual life.

Elijah follows God’s advice and arises to anoint his successor. Elijah seeks out Elisha son of Shaphat and casts his mantle onto Elisha. And thus is fulfilled the first portion of the spirit of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children”. With the simple act of casting his mantle onto his successor Elijah states his faith in a hope and a future and the furthering of life in the spiritual realm as his “father” heart is turned towards a child—his spiritual son--Elisha. But this is only one half of a beautiful and living relationship God created within man. Elisha plays out the second half of this relationship.

The second half of this dynamic within the mentoring relationship has to do with commitment to ones mentor. This is also a task mankind has struggled with throughout history-the development of patience in attaining maturity. Let us leap forward in time to the moment of Elisha’s release (2 Kings 2). All throughout Elijah and Elisha’s time together, Elisha remains devoted to Elijah and his ministry. Towards the end of Elijah’s life he requests that Elisha leave him but Elisha will not and clings lovingly to his “father” to the very end. In the last moments Elijah asks Elisha what he desires out of their relationship before he is taken and Elisha responds, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” (This was not a request of greed but is a request appropriate with the concept of increasing fruitfulness and multiplication of any relationship. If one is not intent on increasing and multiplying then are they really carrying out God’s continual command, from the moment of creation to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to bear fruit?) Elijah responds with this, “Yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.” The implications of this statement are great. You see, if Elisha had followed Elijah’s first request to leave him then Elisha would never even have had the opportunity to see Elijah depart let alone receive a double portion of his spirit. The complete release of Elisha into the fullness of his ministry with a double portion of the spirit of Elijah would not happen unless Elisha saw his mentor through to the very moment designated for his “taking up of the mantle”. This is not to say one must wait until a mentor physically dies to see his own ministry start but there is a living and active dynamic in this relationship that is dependent on two parts—one that releases and one that honors and clings into full maturity. As Elisha fulfilled his commitment to Elijah the second portion of the spirit of Elijah was fulfilled, “the hearts of the children (will turn) to their fathers.” As Elijah is taken in a whirlwind we hear a phrase uttered only twice in all of scripture, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” (2 Kings 2:12) This phrase finds its second mention at Elisha’s deathbed as the king of Israel looks upon him with complete honor and respect, mourning the loss of so great a man of God and cries out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” (2 Kings 13:14).

In today’s Church we once again find ourselves faced with a silent, still whisper, “What are you doing here?” To hear this question requires great sensitivity to the voice of God. He does not announce it in a great and powerful wind. He does not ask it in a trembling earthquake. He does not inquire of us in a raging inferno but comes to us calmly and quietly—“What are you doing here?” How will you answer such an inquiry? As a father in the faith will you move with purpose into a hope and future through the naming and throwing of your mantle onto a successor? Will your father heart turn towards the preservation of a spiritual future in your children?

If you are a young and upcoming leader will your heart turn in honor and respect towards the fathers, clinging to them until you have reached full maturity and release? Will all of your being cry out in love at the moment of your release, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” The success of the spirit and the power of Elijah is dependent on the compliance and fulfillment of both parties in this relationship.

We are faced also with a tragic factor perpetuated by society but not always recognized as so heavily impacting the Church and it is this: In the next several years 90 million “fathers” within our nation are moving into a phase of retirement. This is the baby boomer generation. The magnitude of their presence would not seem so impending if we could in some manner offer them children in increasing measure, but alas that is not possible. You see, 50 million of their children were never born. Over half of the fruitfulness of that generation is missing and so the dynamic of the mentoring relationship is widely offset and imbalanced. This is not to say that the anointing and release of new leaders cannot happen, it is merely to make us aware of the challenges we face. The younger generations have fallen into a category that qualifies as a minority and so we often find it difficult to make our voices heard in our appeal to be released into ministerial fullness. But I strongly believe a solution is available. I move that we pray for a fresh outpouring of the spirit and power of Elijah onto our generation. That in spite of the dysfunction we may have ignorantly perpetuated on our world we be allowed to emerge victorious with a renewed passion between the fathers and the children; that we may once again turn our hearts towards a hope and a future.

Since I do not want to end on a negative note I will give first the consequence of not instituting this dynamic relationship but follow it up with a tremendous word of hope. The consequence states itself in Malachi’s prophesy, “…or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:6) We are in the process of experiencing this curse right now because we did not develop a love for our children or a love for our fathers; we succumbed to a spirit of self preservation instead. Both parties jerked in a relentless game of tug-o-war to see who would prevail and now we suffer the curse on not just physical prosperity but spiritual prosperity. The hope I offer is in this suggestion: the spirit and power of Elijah precedes the coming of the Word of God. If it is truly our desire to see the return of the Word of God both spiritually through renewed understanding and physically in the flesh, then we will take seriously this spirit that perfectly prepares us for the Lord and ushers in that wonderful and blessed presence to our midst.

“Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” (2 Kings 2) Fathers cast your mantles!

“As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you…My father! My father!” (2 Kings 2) Sons cling to your fathers in honor and respect!

Off to Anaheim

Naomi and I are off to Anaheim this next week to spend some time with family and friends. The highlight of my week will be to see so many familiar and long missed faces at the Foursquare National Convention/Connection. The highlight of Naomi's week will be to see so many familiar Disney faces. I suppose Disney would be a highlight for me except that they may not let me on many rides (due to being pregnant... maybe I can suck in my belly and trick em'... doubt it) and I'll have to satisfy myself with walking, taking in shows, and guilting everyone else into buying me all you can eat churros and ice cream, mmmmmm. :-) All and all it should be a great time. We'll be returning to Denver Saturday, May 30th. Pray for safe travel!

My Lord's Prayer

The last few weeks at church we have been focusing on Luke chapter 11 and more specifically the Lord's prayer. The first week we studied the prayer itself and then the subsequent weeks we really broke it out into application. Today at church we actually wrote out a heartfelt personal rendition of the prayer. I would like to encourage anyone and everyone to try this exercise. With that said, here is my heart in the Lord's prayer:

"Our Heavenly Father, my head, my source, my creator, my authority, my stability, You who have begotten Christ in me; holy, righteous, unblemished, just and worthy of all praise is Your awe-inspiring and all powerful Name.

"May Your governing, comforting, and life-giving kingdom gain influence and power in our fallen earth so that we may come to know more intimately the perfect will You exercise in heaven. Bring Your purposes into our lives so that we may be instruments in ushering in the vast dimensions of Your reign more fully.

"Within this framework may I define my priorities and needs for today. May You infuse with passion those needs that contribute to my living and serving Your kingdom and may I have the strength to overcome and differentiate between what I truly need and what I merely desire. Provide for my needs today in the same manner a father would provide for, clothe, feed, and comfort those that belong to him; not desiring that any of his offspring go without or suffer unnecessarily.

"Search my heart, O God. Reveal to me through the conviction of Your Holy Spirit any sin that is within me. I confess this corruption in the divine nature You are attempting to form in me and I pray that You would cleanse and purge this unsightly blemish from my life. Through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ I ask for forgiveness for these sins. Refine me, O God, for Your intents and purposes.

"May I not then be hypocritical in my actions. May I display to others the character of Jesus Christ in forgiving them any wrong done to me just as You have forgiven me even though I was undeserving. May the effect You have on me emanate onto others.

"Help me to discern Your paths for my life, not stumbling in the wrong directions. Help me by the power of Your Word to overcome and pass by all temptations that may beset me along the way. Lead me past those temptations, O Father, and do not let me fall into them."

Go ahead and give it a try! I hope you end up being as blessed as I was by this endeavor in personalizing my relationship and communication with my Father.

Random Events... Sleep Walking, Sprained Feet, and Arrests!

Tuesday night of this week I was busy making dinner and watching the news when a tidbit of information irked me out of my wits. Drew Peterson was signing on for a reality TV show! What?! I wasn't sure whether to laugh or throw up. What man in his right mind would use his notoriety as most famous suspected wife killer to increase his social status and wealth? It made my stomach turn with disgust. The feeling didn't go away and so I just began to pray about the situation. I didn't pray for some misfortune to come to him; I just prayed that I would find peace of mind in the midst of this and that God would begin to reveal the truth of the situation. I prayed for truth above all else to prevail so that I could be at ease (not that I intended to watch his reality TV debut but just knowing he was innocent might make it easier to come to grips with). When the news announced yesterday that an arrest and indictment had been made I cannot adequately put into words the relief I felt. The relief wasn't so much for his demise but for resolution on an issue that had long been plaguing the wives of our nation. I will continue to pray for truth on this matter. I wouldn't want someone to be falsely convicted if they didn't do anything wrong but if these women were wronged then everything inside of me cries out for justice to be served.



In other news, Naomi went for a stroll the other night... in her sleep. She went all the way downstairs to the living room, turned on the TV, laid down on the couch and just kept right on snoozing. About 1:30 am she woke up and hollered up to me... 'Mom, I'm downstairs... how'd I get down here?' Of course I panicked since I had no idea what she was doing in the living room in the middle of the night and went racing to the rescue. Half asleep and stumbling I hit the first step a little over zealous and slipped right past landing on my rump... and foot. Ouch! Well we got everything settled and back in bed, foot throbbing and all and I tried to sleep off the pain. The next day I took one look at my foot and thought for sure it was done for. It looked like a puffy purple marshmallow. After 3 xrays and more lead aprons than any one person could possibly walk under, they informed me it was not broken but badly sprained and to give it a rest for a few days. Whew... I'll take sprained over broken any day.


What to expect in an upcoming blog... an assessment of "A Theology for the Social Gospel" by Walter Rauschenbushch. I started reading this book along with another commentary on the social gospel and am learning quite a bit about that entire movement. There are many good points made but also much a disagree with. I'm sure everyone who knows me saw that coming... it's not that I want to be disagreeable but I am a very holistic thinker and if I step back and look at a picture and there are pieces that do not fit together then I must assume that I have inaccurately placed some pieces. Fortunately I don't throw the puzzle away when that happens; I simply attempt to find the errors and fix the puzzle.

Well that's about it as far as new events go this week. More updating to come soon!

The Busy Little Bee is Busy Indeed...

I realized today that I have not updated my blog in over a month. Good grief, time flies when you're having fun! And while some may not think what I have been doing is fun, I assure you... it is fun to me!

Over the past month I have engrossed myself in a different outlook on the book of Revelation. I have studied the futurist view, that we are yet awaiting all of this to happen and am familiar with what to expect should Revelation take on this interpretation of prophecy. So if the futurists are correct - I am ready! I have studied the preterist view, that the majority of this has already occurred and we await the final step of a resurrection. If preterists are correct - I am ready! But then I began to think - oh boy, here it comes - what if they are both right?! What if, the events of Revelation are a heavenly perspective on the history of the earth from its origins to its end? Since the earth is still ticking then one may assume that the film rolling through Revelation of course is not over but what if events were so gradual to progress that we cannot see its development unless we step back and gaze at the world from a holistic point of view? And so this is what I have been busy doing the past month and it has been amazing.

Why am I doing this, one may ask? First of all... because I can and I have all the time in the world to do it. Secondly, because even if I am way off base I am still becoming intimately involved in the story of Revelation and familiar with its contents. Did you know there is a blessing for just reading the book? How many of us could use more blessing in our lives? Can I hear an AMEN?! And the last reason is this: the more I investigated the possibility of this outlook the more I realized its feasibility.

So the point behind the development of this idea is not to proclaim that this is the absolute truth but to prepare individuals if perchance Revelation takes on yet another form. I want to be ready and able to identify what is going on in the world, and if I am locked into a preconceived notion of what will be then I may miss it all together. And for those who do not think that possible just look at what happened at Jesus' first coming. Everyone around Jesus had a preconceived notion of what the Messiah was going to accomplish when he came into the world. This preconceived notion blinded them to who he was until he had fulfilled and completed his purpose. And THEN Jesus opened their eyes to what and who he truly was. I do not want preconceived notions of prophecy to cloud my ability to see what is really going on either!

I do not want to prematurely spill the beans on all the details but the rough overview of what I am doing is this:

7 Seals = the development and enactment of God's plan for redemption that was necessary for man following the Fall. This plan is accompanied by the consequences of sin and death that must beset a world ruled by sin.

7 Trumpets = the announcement and strategic/tactical/psychological implementation of bringing the Word into Flesh beginning with the covenant of the Law. While the Law provided a level of redemption and sealed God's people it was not the fulfillment. This step is accompanied by not only the consequences of sin (opened in the seals) but the consequences of breaking God's Law.

7 Bowls = the execution of God's final judgment on the earth due to the combination of the consequences of sin (opened in the seals), the consequences of breaking God's Law (announced in the trumpets) and ending in the consequences of rejecting God's only begotten Son - the only true chance we have at life.

And that sums up what I am doing - combining past, present, and future ("what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later" - Rev 1:19) for a bigger look at Revelation. Fun fun!

Call me crazy... I might just be by the time I get done with this whole study.

The Letter, the Spirit, and the Life of the Law

The mystery of the Trinity is a thing of beauty to me. I could spend hours thinking on only that. That may seem odd to some but I believe that God places certain sensitivities on the heart of each person – this just happens to be the area of my sensitivity. This sensitivity alters my perspective in the Word in that throughout all of Scripture the Trinity radiates with their oneness and perfection in practically every passage. Recently as I meditated on the concept of the Law the Trinity too emerged from this age old institution.

Psalm 119:18-20 “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.”

What initially peaked my interest in this topic of the Law were Paul’s words to the Corinthians. “He has made us competent ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). This verse confounded me because I never viewed anything that emitted from the mouth of God as bringing death. But here, this verse clearly stated that the letter killed. But was not the letter part of the Law? And did not King David and King Solomon so eloquently speak in the Spirit concerning the life giving aspects of the Law?

Proverbs 7:2 “Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.”

Proverbs 6:23 “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.”

Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

And then it occurred to me, as it always does when meditating on the oneness of the Trinity, how empty they become when one attempts to remove any aspect of God’s existence in His three persons. I thought of what God would look like to me were He only the Father, with no Spirit and no Son and the thought frightened me to my very core. How cold, alone, and dispassionate He would become. But this is not my God. Since my view of the Trinity entails the view of the Father as the source and head then any attempt to see God without this person would simply become ethereal and unsubstantial. Therefore I cannot analyze the Spirit and Son alone because without the Father they disappear. As I looked at and thought on the Law it began to shift apart into three aspects of ‘letter’, ‘spirit’, and ‘life’. If the letter is the Father without the Spirit and the Son then the Law would become cold, lonely and ineffective, devoid of life. But I do believe the letter reflects the Father in its precision, detail, and authority. The spirit of the Law reflects the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives birth and breathes power into the detail and authority of the Father to produce the absolute miracle of life – the Son – the fullness of Christ. The Son therefore reflects the life of the Law; the life that revives our very souls.

Psalm 19:7-9 “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.”

To view the law without the magnificence of the letter and to attempt only to view the spirit of the law leaves the law without foundation and support. The law becomes fluid and ethereal, without substance and man leaves himself with no choice but to resort to lawlessness. And so without the letter, the law disappears. But this is not how my God operates either. He is three in one; therefore He is absolutely full of life.

To focus on any one aspect of the Law without its counterparts is to strip it of its very essence and life. This is what the Pharisees and teachers of Jesus day had succeeded in doing to the Law. They had stripped the Spirit from the image of God and focused only on the letter, and it was killing them; they had killed the life of the Law. Today we tend to flush to the farther extreme in that we do not recognize the authority and commanding representation of God’s law and we loosely and liberally apply all His statutes, focusing only on the Spirit. We operate without substance and support, basing all our decisions and passions on the fluidity of emotion and it has turned us lawless.

Psalm 119:136 “Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.”

And so what do we do? We must focus on the life of the Law – the Son – the fullness of Christ. For in focusing our efforts and attentions on Him we are forced to take into account both the letter and the spirit of the law. You see, without both the letter and the spirit intimately entwined in a dance of life, the Son does not exist. When our focus turns to the Son, the image of God radiates a fullness and cohesion not possible by any other means. The Law becomes alive; leaping off the pages of text and imprinting itself on our minds, infusing the very life of God into our beings. The covenant of the Old Testament transforms into the covenantal relationship of the New Testament.

What is the Law? It is letter (Father). It is spirit (Holy Spirit). It is LIFE (the Son of God)!

A Time of Rest

There have been many changes for me this year. Naomi is finishing up Kindergarten and getting ready for her first full days of school in 1st grade. And we are expecting a new addition to the family come October. The pressures of the many upcoming events and the lack of my partner physically by my side has led to my reevaluation of my duties and responsibilities this year. I have decided to lay off several of my obligations in order to reassess priorities and figure out what is the best direction for my family.

Other changes have also taken place this year. As some of you know I spent the majority of last year invested in a book writing project on a subject near and dear to my heart - femininity. After submitting my work for a theological evaluation I received my first feedback in that category. The verdict was... the work is "biblically sound". This truly made my heart soar. I do not know what God has planned next but I have a feeling that all too soon I may be busier than I expected. This has also contributed to my decision to take a period of rest and to store up "provisions" for what is to come. So I hope everyone can understand my decision to "take it easy". I am not isolating myself or depressed; in fact it is quite to the contrary. I am excited about whatever it is God has in store. I am enjoying my sojourn through the wilderness because I know that at the end of the long journey is the promised land.

The Evolution of A Snowman

I had a personal epiphany today... and perhaps you may think this elementary but it made me giggle with glee and so I will share it.

It snowed here recently and it has not yet melted, so I am staring at the snow. And I think to myself. Self: If I gather a bucket of snow and set it aside for observation, how long do you think it will take for that bucket of snow to turn into a snowman? (Yes these are the random thoughts of silliness that occur to me on a daily basis.) Self says back to me: That's just silly... that wouldn't happen. And if it did just happen to happen then there's no telling how long that would take. It could very well take billions of years to accomplish by itself. So I say to self, self: What if I take that bucket of snow and make myself a snowman? Pfft... I have that knowledge! It would take me about an hour maybe two. (Two hours if I'm having a nit picky OCD day). Soooo... by itself, the snowman will naturally take a massive amount of time if ever to form, but if I apply even one element of outside force with the required knowledge to accomplish the task it could take an hour? Hah! So I began to think of the beginnings of man. It's not that man could not have evolved... it's simply that he didn't need to. There was an outside force with the required knowledge to form man on His own and so what, to our minds, looks like it would naturally take billions of years, in fact might have only taken a few hours. So both sides, in essence are correct. The difference is in what players are in your equation of life. I choose to maintain a view that a God outside of myself, who has the knowledge to make me, did in fact form me. And so my tiny epiphany of a snowman has taught me a little bit about God today.