More with Expectations from 5/21/10

The Lord gave me a vision of these plants on this rock and mushrooms in a surrounding area, and this bright white sun rose up and lit up the land. The mushrooms withered as they were exposed to the light. Some of the greent plants on the rock withered as well, while others continued to thrive. I could see the roots of the green plants on the rocks, like a cross-section. Those plants that had deep roots continued to grow - their roots were like weed roots - like dandelions. I immediately felt like this was the Lord showing that He is about to expose some things in the church in the city of Hagerstown. I also believe it relates to our expectations - will we be steadfast in faith when what we expected doesn't turn out? To those with shorter roots will fall away. Those planted deeply will stay, not be easily swayed, and prosper.

Healthy Expectations

The Lord seems to be building on several themes throughout these Friday night watches, and what the Spirit is speaking throughout the week. This week the Lord bringing some things together.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace." (Jeremiah 29:4-7)

For many, it feels as though they live in Babylon, carried away in captivity. To look at political climates, condition of the church, school systems, government, etc., can be pretty bleak. We must be praying for our cities. A harvest is being made ready. If we pray for the peace of our cities, we will reap what we sew.

Likewise, Hebrews 11 makes Abraham an example of one who "desires a better, that is, a heavenly country." His perspective was from a heavenly mindset - focused on "the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." That's where we need to be.

"You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you." Deuteronomy 8:5,10

This part still remains a bit elusive for me. How in our western culture, enjoying the blessings from God and "have eaten and are full", how do we still operate in faith? Seems like a delicate balance.

Now for the meat. Over the last few weeks, the Lord has impressed heavily the word in Revelation 3 which says "strengthen that which remains" and to be "watchful." I believe the Lord is testing those in the body to bring us to the end of ourselves with expectation, and to see how heavily we will rely on Him.

I know personally, and in talking with a few close friends, the Lord seems to be squashing our expectations. Every time I seem to have a bit of hope for something or someone, those expectations are being smashed. I believe this is of the Lord - it is a testing to see if in spite of circumstances, of things unfolding completely different than we expect, or things we've hoped for fall apart, will we continue to trust in Him. This is the test. To those who overcome, they are promoted.

Looking at
Judges 7, we see the account of Gideon trimming down the army. It is interesting to me that the first thing he does to trim the army is to remove those with fear. I've heard it said "Fear is faith for things you don't want." So true. If our faith is greater for the things we fear, then that's a hinderance. We must operate in faith as an overcomer. The next thing is how those who drink. For those who drank in a position of watchfulness, they were kept.

To those who totally lean on Him in faith, they will be fit for service in the army outlined in Joel 2. I truly believe that is what the Lord is preparing in these days. God is showing us the cost of being a true disciple. Will we stand in the gap for our cities? Will we fix our eyes on Jesus? Will we embrace chastening? We must weigh our options. We are being given a choice right now - will we enlist for service?

Sojourners of Faith

I felt the Lord taking me through Hebrews 10-12 to highlight some important things in our walk with Him. The Lord is calling use to a higher place of faith and trust in Him.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

Without faith, it is impossible to please God! In our western culture, faith is stifled by our persuit of the "American Dream" of 'independence' and 'freedom.' Actually, what our 'freedom' really is, is the freedom to persue control over our own lives and choices - to exist in a controlled environment - safe job, nice home, good food, modern conveniences, reliable transportation, etc., leaving very little need for faith. Faith can be very inconvenient with all that waiting...

"and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." (Hebrews 10:34b, 38-39)

By faith, we are to advance the Kingdom. Jesus said to gain life, we must lose ours first. To those who "joyfully accepted the plundering of [their] goods," they didn't have one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom - they were sold out! Where are we truly putting our hope and faith? The Lord continually shows me where my heart is...and I most definitely have not arrived. Just this week, I had a chunk of money I thought was coming in that was taken away. "But that's not just!" The Lord quickly showed me the offense in my heart, the lack of joy, and revealed where my trust was...it can't be in this job, that client, this check, etc. - but in the Lord!

Verses 9, 13, 16, and 38 describe the "all-stars of faith" as those who were sojourners, strangers, foreigners and aliens in the land. Our faith will make us look weird - at least it should. Faith is the "evidence of things not seen" (v1), so to the natural man it will seem peculiar.

"They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth." (Hebrews 11:38)

Wanderers...doesn't sound like fun. Nor does it sound "inclusive" or "culturally relevant." We need to break the lie of "looking like world" and start looking like we're 'not of this world'.

"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them." (Hebrews 11:24-28)

Entitlement is a killer in our western culture, and in the church. Moses chose to suffer affliction - forsaking the riches of this world, opting for greater riches in Christ. He was entitled to a 'better life' - but he chose Christ. He feared the invisible more than the visible. We must do the same.

"And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise" (Hebrews 11:39)

They "did not receive the promise." We must become eternally minded - we will not receive all that is promised to us in this life - if Heaven is our home, this life is but a vapor, passing away quickly. We may sew what others will reap - we're not entitled - it's His works and not our own!

"For he (Abraham) waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:10,16)

Heaven was home. God was not ashamed to be called "God" by Abraham. Does the same hold true for us? Wow...this was quite hard for me to swallow. I want to be counted as one who "God is not ashamed to be called their God." Building on the previous post, I feel like the Lord is saying strengthen that which remains, that which is worth remaining - and that which is dying and not worth living - let it die. I think much of our "affliction" is kicking against the goads...

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebews 12:1-2,7)

It is time to have greater focus. The day of His return is closer than ever! Endurance builds peaceable fruit!

Strengthen What Remains

"I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." (Revelation 3:1b-3)

What needs to be strengthened? What remains but is ready to die? We felt like the Lord was exhorting us to strengthen the little that remains that needs to be redeemed. I believe that is for us personally in our lives, but also for our brethren - what are we doing to be effective for the Kingdom? We do a lot of "stuff" to stay busy, but what is truly about our Father's business? I believe part of this is prayer - strengthen prayer and watchfulness in our lives and in our churches - it feels like it is about to die. It is something for all of us to evaluate continually in our lives.

Moving the Mountains

I felt like the Lord gave me revelation through the scripture about 'moving the mountains' which would be encouraging to all those who are standing and praying for His bride.

And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” (John 2:14-17)

I wrote about this account, using Mark 11, in another post entitled Changes in the Church. Much of the church today has this similar issue - we are buying our peace (doves) by throwing money in an offering plate or purchasing books or chasing conferences, rather than going to the Source - our Father. I'm not saying these things are bad, but when they eclipse our devotion to or our recognition of the source, this is a problem. The Spririt will guide us into all truth - He will do it, not man. But I don't want to get off track here - I want to look at this passage in context - why the withered fig tree beforehand? What does moving mountains have to do with figs? What does overthrowing the tables have to do with all of this?

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:11)

This was curious to me - He went in looking (watchfulness), but the hour was late and left. To me, Jesus himself went in to survey the scene - to see the state of the then present reality of the temple. This is where we are today - many of us see the state of the church and see all of its dysfunction, missteps, misgivings, and pitfalls. We've surveyed the seen, but now what? The dry bones know they're dry. We must not fall into judgement and grumbling, but what can we do?

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. (Mark 11:12-14)

What what does the fig tree have to do with all of this? He cursed the fig tree along the way, and it was out of season....why?

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." (2 Timothy 4:2)

He's looking for fruit, in and out of season. Whether the church is in right order or not, we must be in right order with Him individually, both in and out of season. It isn't the church's fault we're not moving in all that we are called to. The other aspect of this is this instruction doesn't sound very glorious nor fun, but this is our charge - with longsuffering!

Then we see Jesus going into the temple and taking action, overthrowing the tables. He quoted Isaiah 56, but I want to give that passage some context here.

“ Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:6,7)

His house shall be called a "house of prayer" - this speaks of the house for today because he speaks of the "foreigners" - that is us as gentiles who are grafted in. These ones He will "bring to My holy mountain." The temple in that day did not resemble a house of prayer, nor did it look like a holy people.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:20-26)

Jesus entered the temple to partake of fruit and found none. To the people who inhabitted the mountain, He spoke to the mountain and said for it to be rooted up - He overturned the tables and chased the money changers away! The temple was defiled - He identified the root and spoke to the mountain. We, too, must uphold a standard of His holiness, but without standing in judgement and falling into spiritual pride, believing we are "holier" than that of those still left in the church. We've been given grace, we must show grace. We must forgive and be longsuffering - this is why I believe Jesus followed the teaching on standing in faith with a word about forgiveness of others. For fear of extending this into the length of a book, I'll finish with this: we need our brothers, we need to invest in discipleship, and not leave others behind...we need each other in order to fulfill the callings and purpose on our lives - even Jesus submitted to the ministry of John the Baptist.

We must stand on His word, He is returning for a pure and spotless bride. He is looking to us to stand in faith, and move the mountains!