Tag: Faith

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The Front Door to Fullness

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. —Revelation 3:20

We are going through a phase. Whenever our grandchildren come over, they ring the doorbell and then hide around the corner. We answer the door and (gasp!) no one is there! After about five seconds—for they can bear the suspense no longer—they jump out and yell, “Surprise!” This brief moment sets the tone for several hours to follow, a time of stories and questions and laughter and play. For when we open the door and these two little ones come in, they fill the place.

When Jesus knocks on our soul’s door, we receive Him through faith, by believing in His name.1 He comes in and makes His home in our hearts as we trust in Him,2 and when He does, He fills the place. Then who is this One who comes to live within, and how does He fill us? In Colossians 1:15-20, Paul magnificently describes Jesus: “The Son is the image of the invisible God,”3 the One in whom “all things were created.”4 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”5 Paul summarizes, saying, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.”6 The entire fullness of God lives in Jesus the Son, and it is He who comes into us and fills the place.

This is breathtaking, yet Paul was not finished. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” he continued, “and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”7 Stop for a moment and soak this in. It is true in itself; and when we entrust ourselves to Jesus the Son, it becomes true of us, both as a body and as individuals. This Son of God in whom abides the fullness of God lives in us as “our hope of glory,”8 and He brings us to this same fullness. Then we go forward not by our strength, but in His power; not by our understanding, but in His wisdom; not according to our ways, but in His will. For He has come in and filled the place.

In faith, open the door to fullness. He is there, and He will come in.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 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, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:16-19.

1 John 1:12
2 Ephesians 3:17
3 Colossians 1:15
4 Colossians 1:16
5 Colossians 1:17
6 Colossians 1:19
7 Colossians 2:9-10
8 Colossians 1:27

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More than Everything

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18

He had a lot going for him—smarts, good looks, a commanding stature, and a relational ease with people. Wonderful leadership qualities, each one of them, and this man had them all. But here he was—in prison. I don’t know what decisions he made to land him there: Kairos Prison Ministry volunteers never ask, for delving into the past is not why we’re there. But on the final day of our Kairos weekend, he spoke openly before all of the people gathered in the room, prisoners and volunteers alike, “When I was locked up, I lost everything—my family, everything.” He’d had so much, yet he lost it all.

“Losing everything” doesn’t have to be our endpoint. It can be, and it often is, because it is difficult for us to look up and see hope when our heads hang low in bewilderment and shame. How did I get here? But God can build anew where our towers of success lie razed. Reflected Paul, one of the greatest minds of his time and advanced in Judaism beyond his peers, “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.”1 The persecutor-turned-apostle had lost everything he’d strived for in order to gain Him in whom everything exists. Jesus is worth more than everything.

Wiping away tears he’d prefer not to show, the inmate continued to address the group, “Thank you for loving me, for making me smile, for being family—the church.” God’s restoration in the man had begun—a joyful soul now teeming with hope, a hope pouring out in a testimony of faith, this faith “of greater worth than gold.”2 Though his possessions are gone and his income has ceased, though his family has left him and his friends have moved on, yet he rejoices in the Lord, he is joyful in God his Savior. Only God can do this. Only God is that good. Trust Him in everything, and rejoice.

Father, You never give up on us. When life looks dark and bleak, we see all the more clearly the brilliance of Your light. Draw us to Yourself; cleanse us from our impurities, and send us forward in great hope, faith, joy and love. We pray in Christ, in whom everything exists. Amen.

1 Philippians 3:8
2 1 Peter 1:7

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Hearing God—Series Wrap-up

Our church’s Young Professionals group had asked if someone could speak with them on the topic of hearing God and discerning His voice, and one of our pastors suggested me. We had a wonderful time of teaching and sharing, and of questions and answers. That evening sent me down this blog path on the crucial topic of hearing God: we began this series on July 21 and conclude today—16 posts and 80-something Bible verses later. We have covered a lot of ground, and so I offer this topical summary and links to the respective posts. Perhaps they will be a helpful reference for you in the future and/or thought-provoking discussion material for your small group . . . 

Hearing God and knowing His voice begins at relationship—Draw Near and Hear
God speaks to us for one ultimate purpose: to glorify Him—Our Purpose and God’s Voice
God speaks to us through the Word—The Bible is Changing Me
God speaks to us through prayer—As One Speaks to a Friend
God speaks to us through events around us—Of People, Circumstances and Timing
God speaks to us as we meditate on Scripture—Sitting Quietly with God
We perceive God’s voice as He wills—This Is the Way; Walk in It
God’s voice comes to us and sends us in His direction— The Still, Small Voice
God speaks to us in His timing; we wait for Him—The P Word
We sometimes hear God long after He has spoken— Hearing God in Retrospect
God speaks His will to whomever He chooses—Should We Be Surprised?
We recognize God’s voice by His character—The Frequency of Life
God speaks advocacy in the face of accusation—The Accuser and the Advocate
As we seek God’s voice, He seeks our obedience—The Other Side of Hearing God
God calls us to share His words with others—A Time To Speak

There is no formula in speaking with and hearing from God. There is no if/then coding logic. Moreover, we cannot manipulate Him, control Him, or even accurately predict Him. Rather, we trust Him, knowing He will speak truth in love from His character of holiness. In a sense, it all comes down to this: God loves us as a Father loves His children. He has much to say, and He wants us to hear Him. Walk with Him, talk with Him; sit with Him and listen. It’s called, “relationship.” We are His desire, and He is ours.

Glory be to God.

Father, You chose us through the work of Your Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ.1 Grace us to relate with You throughout the day as people who are loved so exceedingly well. May we hear Your voice and know it above all others, and in the wonder and freedom of Your love, find us joyful to hear and eager to obey. We love you as Your people in Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.

1 1 Peter 1:1-2