Dreams and Visions

The prophet Joel predicted it. The church experienced it. The disciples acted by its power. I’m talking about the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out onto the church. The wind blew, the fire burned, and people could really talk to each other. 

I have yet to attend a worship service like that first one.  Oh, I’ve seen bells and whistles, and I’ve heard some mighty fine music and occasionally an interesting sermon.  But I’ve witnessed nothing with the power described in Acts 2.

In fact, for all the energy we pour into our churches, we are rather anemic. 

So what’s going on?

Was it a singular event to celebrate the entrance of the church into the world? Possibly, but I’m going to assume that God still pours his Presence into the church and into our hearts, whether I feel it or not.  So how do we see it? How can we work in concert with this mysterious Spirit, so we can benefit from its power?

As I read through Acts 2 again, I note Joel’s words about young men having visions and old men having dreams.  What dreams? What visions?

I believe people actually get what they envision. Does the church have dream of a great performance team? They can have that. Want a bigger building? That’s possible. A hotshot, spellbinding, fireball of a speaker? They’re out there.  But these are not necessarily vessels of the Spirit.

What if we dream with the Spirit of a God who longs to heal and minister to others? What if we see ourselves as vessels of compassion, mercy, and love? What if the church envisions itself helping a dark and crooked world to become bright and happy? We could have that.

Perhaps these visions can open our eyes to the same Spirit whose presence was poured out on the people at Pentecost. And we’ll see it has always been right there.

Awareness of God

In the Gospel of John, the author emphasized the deity of Christ, where Jesus existed before the creation of the world and took part in that creation. He wanted us to see the Jesus who maintained the full authority of God, and knew what would happen before it happened. 

I think about how Jesus walked this earth as a human and at the same time was fully conscious of the entire cosmos. Could he hear angels singing while eating dinner with the disciples? When he traveled across the Sea of Galilee, could he also see the Crystal Sea of heaven? When he walked into a house, could he see heaven’s mansions at the same time?

When he looked to the heavens, did he see all the stars and galaxies and planets that are not visible to the human eye? When he worked with wood, could he see even the sub-atomic particles in its structure?

And what was it like to one with the Father? “I in thee, and thee in me.”(John 17:21).To know God’s thoughts and for God to know his? To share feelings and enjoy each Other’s presence?

Did he have a difficult time managing the limitations of a physical body while being aware of all of heaven? What was it like to know the fullness of heaven and at the same time endure the emptiness of hunger? Was it harder or easier to be aware of heaven when he was tired and hurting?

The reason I wonder these things is that this heavenly awareness is accessible to all of us, through the Holy Spirit.  He “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3).

As I work and pray, how aware am I of the larger spiritual world around me, where the eternal qualities of love, joy, and hope supersede the impotent qualities of greed, rage, and power?  And how would that change my behavior?

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Eph 1:17).

Better Is Not Easier

“Come to church and your life will be so much better.”

That’s the promise that we often use to attract people, but I think we might want to define more precisely the word “better.” “Better” may not mean pain free and fun.

We’re rarely going to be as entertaining as an amusement park or a Las Vegas Act because our goals are different.   

But here are some things we can offer if you come to church:  

To love and be loved. Love is good, but it is not easy. Love always has joy, but sometimes it’s sad, too. Sometimes it’s scary. And it’s not uncommon for love to be exasperating. 

To be healed. Healing involves change, humility, maturity, courage, forgiveness, etc. These things may not always be fun, but they’re pretty necessary. 

  

To trade small problems for bigger ones. Come to focus on the needs of the globe, the community, and the person next to you (this is one of the things that can bring healing to you, too). Coming to church might make you feel the weight of responsibility.

To focus on heavenly issues.  Instead of the issues of earthly kingdoms (or governments), we focus on the Kingdom of God, where truth, beauty, and love are more important than money and power.  

To grow in your awareness of God which could be daunting but also joyful and wonderful

So yeah, come to church. It can make your life better. Just not necessarily easier. 

No More Walking on the Water

Emily Bowen, a friend of mine from seminary recently made this comment on Facebook:

“Does anyone else find this sentence in scripture humorous? – ‘When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea.’”

Now that I visualize it, it does seem funny. The disciples are in the boat when they see the newly risen Jesus on the shore.  Peter stands up in the boat, puts his clothes on, then steps out of the boat and into the water.

That’s not how I go swimming.

Regardless of various theological interpretations, this would have gotten a laugh if it had been in front of an audience. 

Earlier in the Gospel, Peter had dared to step out of the boat and walk on top of the water to meet Jesus, but not this time. From then on there was no more walking on the water.  Everything would be harder. 

But better, too.

Later, by the fire, he stood before Jesus and was given the opportunity to state his love for the Rabbi, but it was painful rather than the boastful declarations he had made in the upper room before the crucifixion. Showing this love would require commitment and action. Furthermore, Jesus told him that he would face times when he would be powerless rather than impressive. 

There would be no more walking on the water.

And yet, as hard as everything would become, Peter was about to do his greatest work.  He would become the preacher, healer, and leader he had been destined to be, a true hero of the faith. 

Our greatest achievements come in the wake of humility, when we become willing to do the hard, unglamorous work.   

Are You Thirsty?

One hot afternoon when I was a teenager, a man saw me mowing the lawn and he recognized that I was dehydrated. He gave me his jug of ice water and insisted that I drink as much of it as I wanted. I didn’t realize I was thirsty until I took that first swallow and then I couldn’t stop. I was embarrassed to be drinking all of his water, but he assured me he could get some more and I could drink it all, so I plopped myself under a tree and did just that.

I’ve never tasted anything so good as the water that restored my body that afternoon. However, I have had similar moments when someone offered me other things I couldn’t refuse. 
 

Like right now. I found some music online that is so wonderful! I went ahead and spent money to download the whole album. I should be working on other things… my sermon, letters....an article…, something. I should be calling on some of my people….

But I just can’t right now. I have to take in this music. I can’t help it. I need it.  

At other times, I have had friends that I needed desperately and I took too much from them—time and attention they could have spent on other things, but they gave it to me because I needed it so much. 

 

Sometimes I see the signs in people that they are desperate for… something.  They come to church thirsting for the Spirit. I watch them cry softly and soak in the music and the prayers and even the sermon because they need it so much.

In the Bible I see people's thirst when they tried to get near Jesus, like Zaccheaus, who struggled to get through a crowd that didn’t like him. He finally climbed a tree so he could at least see Jesus.  Jesus saw him, too, understood his need and went home with him. 

I see it in the young woman, Mary, who stayed at Jesus feet, even though others were calling her to her duties.  Jesus understood her need and assured her she could stay where she was.

debrahurd.blogspot.com

And I see it in Jesus himself, who went without sleep so he could pray. One night he stayed away so long that the people were clamoring for him the next morning when he got back.  

What are you thirsting for? Sometimes it takes a long time to realize what we need, ask for it, even to neglect other things in order to reach for it. 

The rest of us need to be patient with others and let them stop to get what they need. And I think sometimes we are the ones designated to share with them what we have (time, attention, energy) so they can get what they need.    

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water….” (W)hoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (taken from John 4).

Confusion and Clarity

Sometimes confusion is reality colliding with our convictions 

“Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.” (Luke 24:12) 

Peter could be wrong but he was rarely confused. However, when he looked into an empty tomb where only the burial clothes remained, he reached a pinnacle of confusion. 

I think it began in Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, and Peter was ready for the revolution to begin. He was sure this would be the climactic moment when the glory of Jesus would shine, the corrupt religious hierarchy would be abolished and Roman oppression would be overthrown.  This was the moment where he had no hesitation in taking up his sword to lash into the crowd. 

But Jesus stopped him and healed the one man Peter managed to wound, then went willingly to his persecutors. The confusion continued as he followed Jesus and the soldiers to the temple. When he warmed himself at the fire in the temple courtyard and someone asked if he followed Jesus, he said truthfully, forcefully, with an oath, that he did not know the man. 

He was right. He didn’t know the scope and majesty of Jesus’ Lordship.  He could only imagine Jesus being king over a small patch of the world, when Jesus was destined for the Kingdom of heaven. 

If Peter were to ever clearly understand Jesus, he had to be jarred from his earlier assumptions. To let go of our convictions in order to perceive greater truth is always disorienting.  Of course he was confused.  He had to reach this moment in order to gain further enlightenment. 

Which leads me to an interesting Easter message. Perhaps things are very confusing for you right now. Sometimes we reach a point where we just don’t know what to believe anymore. 

This is good news. It means you are on your way to greater understanding.

For Peter, the confusion meant he was about to see Jesus more clearly. 

The Case for Judas

Did Judas go to heaven?

If he did, he wouldn't quite fit any of our clever little “Steps to Salvation” formulas.  However, I read where he confessed his sin and he showed remorse when he threw his blood money onto the floor of the temple (Matthew 27:3-5). And I see the mercy of Jesus on the cross when he said, “Father, forgive them….” Wasn't he including Judas?

Before the argument begins, consider this:

Why would you argue for Judas’s condemnation when Jesus argues for his salvation?

1 John 2:1-2 gives us the image of Jesus as the lawyer defending us before a judge, arguing for our redemption and release.   Do you want to be on the opposing side of Jesus?  Do you want to side with the prosecutor who is Satan, the accuser of our brethren?

Or did you want to replace the Judge?

I like to imagine a scene in heaven, where we are creatures of light. As we see each other in our true states, it might be hard to recognize everyone at first. One person especially shines with the glow of redemption, where all of his wounds have been healed and he is in his perfect state. Then we recognize him and rejoice that even Judas made it. 

The same grace that saves us saves him.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2 NIV).