The Holy One calls to me this morning. Gladness fills my room and my heart. The gladness is in the sense of His Presence and not for any tangible blessing (although there are many) that I might focus on or point to as the reason.
The joy of the Lord felt by His people cannot be explained because real joy, ultimately, is not dependent on circumstances or situationally energized. We are told that Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross and scorned its shame. He looked past the immediate situation and found joy in what was going to come out of the pain.
Gladness and joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit so we can take no credit for it's origins, but only take comfort in the experience of it. I yield my praise and worship up at first light to the One I know makes me glad.
As I begin the day with praise and worship, the sense of relational unity with the Holy One lifts the darkness of life just as the sun fills the day with it's brilliant light.
I confess that one of the things that I enjoy is a good mystery. The whole "who done it" mentality of my personality in a way drives me to know more about the mystery of Holiness. I love to follow the clues and arrive at the place where I know that Ms. White clocked Mr. Black in the study with a wrench.
I realize that solving the "mystery" of Holiness is a life long pursuit, but the Lord keeps me enthralled with just enough clues about His being and answers that my inquiring mind wants to know, so that I never tire of the game.
Today, He speaks into my gladness with a powerful revelation to my mind, " I want my people to understand Trinity unity so I set them up in community".
I know He is referring to the fellowship of believers we identify as the "church". There are so many reasons for the Church in it's formation but this explanation really causes me to put on the brakes and listen to my all wise Counselor.
"You may not understand all there is to know, but We are a Trinity, a fellowship, a community in and of ourselves. We established the Church to operate in community like We do."
The message has me reeling. My thoughts of the "church" have been polluted by it's failures. I am ashamed to have missed the Divine purpose while surveying the mess we have made of it. Community is an all encompassing design. The challenges to remain in community abound and I realize that the focus on self destroys the unity necessary in community.
Jesus came to show us the Father and bring Gory to His Name. I am reminded of the words that Jesus spoke in the gospel accounts of His life:
Jesus said, "I am in the Father and the Father is in Me".
The joy of the Lord felt by His people cannot be explained because real joy, ultimately, is not dependent on circumstances or situationally energized. We are told that Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross and scorned its shame. He looked past the immediate situation and found joy in what was going to come out of the pain.
Gladness and joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit so we can take no credit for it's origins, but only take comfort in the experience of it. I yield my praise and worship up at first light to the One I know makes me glad.
As I begin the day with praise and worship, the sense of relational unity with the Holy One lifts the darkness of life just as the sun fills the day with it's brilliant light.
I confess that one of the things that I enjoy is a good mystery. The whole "who done it" mentality of my personality in a way drives me to know more about the mystery of Holiness. I love to follow the clues and arrive at the place where I know that Ms. White clocked Mr. Black in the study with a wrench.
I realize that solving the "mystery" of Holiness is a life long pursuit, but the Lord keeps me enthralled with just enough clues about His being and answers that my inquiring mind wants to know, so that I never tire of the game.
Today, He speaks into my gladness with a powerful revelation to my mind, " I want my people to understand Trinity unity so I set them up in community".
I know He is referring to the fellowship of believers we identify as the "church". There are so many reasons for the Church in it's formation but this explanation really causes me to put on the brakes and listen to my all wise Counselor.
"You may not understand all there is to know, but We are a Trinity, a fellowship, a community in and of ourselves. We established the Church to operate in community like We do."
The message has me reeling. My thoughts of the "church" have been polluted by it's failures. I am ashamed to have missed the Divine purpose while surveying the mess we have made of it. Community is an all encompassing design. The challenges to remain in community abound and I realize that the focus on self destroys the unity necessary in community.
Jesus came to show us the Father and bring Gory to His Name. I am reminded of the words that Jesus spoke in the gospel accounts of His life:
Jesus said, "I am in the Father and the Father is in Me".
John 14:11
Jesus said, " If you love Me you will obey what I command and I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor, The Spirit of Truth.......He lives with you and will be in you." John 14:15-16.
Jesus said, "On that day you will realize I am in the Father and you are in Me and I am in you".
John 14:20.
All the pieces of this great mystery are coming together in my mind. In Community, the Trinity desired a greater fellowship. Man was created out of that desire. Man was seen alone in God's created world as in no other "human" life form and was in need of a like-kind being.... enter Eve.
Heart sin led to the fall and to their eviction from the fellowship of and with the Trinity.
Man and woman in marital unity desired children to add to the community. Families branch out as does the community to a bigger unit called society. Absent the perfect love and unity of the Trinity, Who designed community, man's unit became a hot bed of division resulting in wars on a large scale and divorce that divides the very community upon which society is designed to operate.
God wiped out the the entire wicked world of men, saving one unit through one man, Noah, in a cataclysmic world wide flood. Man re-group and continued in community but sin continued as well. The Nation of Israel was formed out of one man, and one family unit to model a community of "believers" in the One True God. They continued on in community but sin continued as well.
All of the sorrow over all the generations of community has been permitted to take us back to the desire for the love that exists in the Trinity and so that we will place our dependency on God for the unity we need but cannot achieve.
All of the Old Testament history points to the one epic event that settled the issue of sin and the division it cost every human ever born. The Trinity sent One of Their own to bridge the gap and re-instate the unity that God desires with His Beloved creation called "man".
At a very strategic time in earth's history, when all roads led to and out of Rome, God the Father sent God the Son to bring the message of unity back to humanity that was silenced at the fall. The salvation offered by Jesus the Christ is not to spare us a physical death but to restore us after a relational one occurred.
By and through His death and resurrection Jesus paid the price that caused our separation from the Trinity and created the opening, the opportunity and the hope to be restored to that privileged relationship with God Who is Three-in-One.
Upon His arrival, Jesus worked to convey the vision of community in those relationships we know and love as "family". Jesus came to show us the Father and to to confirm the bigger picture of Holy unity, "He looked at the crowds saying, "who are my mother and my brothers? .....whoever does God's Will is my brother, and sister and mother". Mark 3:34-35 NIV.
Jesus left planet earth having given His Disciples the message and vision of the "Church", a Holy community based on a common unity. We all come together in a spiritual union not made by human hands but rather designed by and for community modeled after the Divine relationship we see as the Trinity. All of the goodness of creation came forth from the power of Sovereignty when it was said, "let us make man in our image" (Gen 1:26).
The purpose of the Church is to model Trinity unity where there is no judgement, no exalted pride or lust for power, but rather a unity operating in perfect love and celebration and even dependency on one another when One was in a weakened condition as in the tomb of death.
The sad truth is that many have missed the message and betrayed our Lord. "By this all men will know you are My disciples if you love one another".
The love of the Father has been lavished upon us, yet we find reasons to judge and even hate the rest of the family He loves as well. While we take on the great commission to share the Gospel about the love of our Lord for the world He came to save, wouldn't it be a great idea to live out the love and forgiveness and unity in the community He Himself established that we call the "Church"?
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Jesus said, " If you love Me you will obey what I command and I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor, The Spirit of Truth.......He lives with you and will be in you." John 14:15-16.
Jesus said, "On that day you will realize I am in the Father and you are in Me and I am in you".
John 14:20.
All the pieces of this great mystery are coming together in my mind. In Community, the Trinity desired a greater fellowship. Man was created out of that desire. Man was seen alone in God's created world as in no other "human" life form and was in need of a like-kind being.... enter Eve.
Heart sin led to the fall and to their eviction from the fellowship of and with the Trinity.
Man and woman in marital unity desired children to add to the community. Families branch out as does the community to a bigger unit called society. Absent the perfect love and unity of the Trinity, Who designed community, man's unit became a hot bed of division resulting in wars on a large scale and divorce that divides the very community upon which society is designed to operate.
God wiped out the the entire wicked world of men, saving one unit through one man, Noah, in a cataclysmic world wide flood. Man re-group and continued in community but sin continued as well. The Nation of Israel was formed out of one man, and one family unit to model a community of "believers" in the One True God. They continued on in community but sin continued as well.
All of the sorrow over all the generations of community has been permitted to take us back to the desire for the love that exists in the Trinity and so that we will place our dependency on God for the unity we need but cannot achieve.
All of the Old Testament history points to the one epic event that settled the issue of sin and the division it cost every human ever born. The Trinity sent One of Their own to bridge the gap and re-instate the unity that God desires with His Beloved creation called "man".
At a very strategic time in earth's history, when all roads led to and out of Rome, God the Father sent God the Son to bring the message of unity back to humanity that was silenced at the fall. The salvation offered by Jesus the Christ is not to spare us a physical death but to restore us after a relational one occurred.
By and through His death and resurrection Jesus paid the price that caused our separation from the Trinity and created the opening, the opportunity and the hope to be restored to that privileged relationship with God Who is Three-in-One.
Upon His arrival, Jesus worked to convey the vision of community in those relationships we know and love as "family". Jesus came to show us the Father and to to confirm the bigger picture of Holy unity, "He looked at the crowds saying, "who are my mother and my brothers? .....whoever does God's Will is my brother, and sister and mother". Mark 3:34-35 NIV.
Jesus left planet earth having given His Disciples the message and vision of the "Church", a Holy community based on a common unity. We all come together in a spiritual union not made by human hands but rather designed by and for community modeled after the Divine relationship we see as the Trinity. All of the goodness of creation came forth from the power of Sovereignty when it was said, "let us make man in our image" (Gen 1:26).
The purpose of the Church is to model Trinity unity where there is no judgement, no exalted pride or lust for power, but rather a unity operating in perfect love and celebration and even dependency on one another when One was in a weakened condition as in the tomb of death.
The sad truth is that many have missed the message and betrayed our Lord. "By this all men will know you are My disciples if you love one another".
The love of the Father has been lavished upon us, yet we find reasons to judge and even hate the rest of the family He loves as well. While we take on the great commission to share the Gospel about the love of our Lord for the world He came to save, wouldn't it be a great idea to live out the love and forgiveness and unity in the community He Himself established that we call the "Church"?
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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