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Book Review: Heaven on Earth


9780736949149_centered_283x437The theme of Jesus and the kingdom has become a more and more important one in my thinking and living in recent years. I’ve been grateful for writings of N. T. Wright and Dallas Willard that have brought this closer to the center of my understanding of what it means to walk with Jesus.

Recently, through my friend Mark Moore, pastor of Providence Community Church in Plano, TX, I became aware of a book by R. Alan Streett, Heaven on Earth. I got my copy from Amazon the day before my recent trip to the Dominican Republic to lead the Journey for pastors there. I finished reading the book in a few days. It was that readable, engaging and interesting. What I found most helpful is how it serves as a very accessible survey of the whole of the Bible on this kingdom theme.

Streett makes a compelling case for kingdom as a core theme from Genesis to Revelation. I am looking forward to drawing on this resource for our future Journey training as the theme of kingdom is becoming a more important and emphasized one, thanks especially to Mark Moore’s insight and contribution to the presentation flow.

I touched on the theme of the kingdom of God throughout An Unhurried Life, and especially in the final chapter, “An Eternal Life.” This is the unhurried life to which we’re invited—a life under the good, beautiful and true reign of King Jesus.

I encourage you to get a copy of Heaven on Earth as one of your summer reads. It’ll be more than worth your time.

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Morning Prayer: The Nature of Temptation


Passage: Luke 4:1-13

First Reading

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God… Jesus answered, “It is written:… (Luke 4:3, 4 NIV)

The devil seeks to plant questions in my mind about my identity. I may not be the Son of God, but I am a son of God. This is my most basic and secure identity. This is why it is such a threat to the enemy of my soul.

Second Reading

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. (Luke 4:1, 5 NIV)

How well am I discerning the leading of the Spirit and the misleading of the devil? I seem more easily aware of His more blatant attempts these days, but what the subtle ones? I feel troubled that I may still be letting my enemy lead me in ways that are not life-giving but instead life-draining. Jesus, I feel sad, embarrassed and shame looking back over how easily I have allowed Him to mislead me. I recognize my need to be able to discern the leading of Your Spirit.

Third reading

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (Luke 4:3, 4 NIV)

I’m feeling invited to learn further from the practice of a fourth century desert Christian, Evagrius of Pontus (Talking Back), who wrote nearly 500 pairings of example temptations and scriptural responses on the eight deadly thoughts–gluttony, lust, greed, envy, anger, acedia, vainglory, pride. Though I sometimes find his allegorical approach a stretch, I want to learn from his practice in the spirit of Jesus in the wilderness, especially as it relates to gluttony and acedia. I’d like to identify 5 key scriptures to help me in my wrestling against these two temptations.

(By the way, those key scriptures are listed below)

Acedia

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” (2 Corinthians 4:1)

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Gluttony

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4 NIV)

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:18-21)

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:14)

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Morning Prayer: The Holy Spirit and Fire


Passage: Luke 3:15-22

First reading

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. (Luke 3:16-18 NIV)

John exhorted the people and proclaimed to them good news. Exhortation is good news in that it is possible to change. I can be refined into the image of “the one more powerful” than me. There is freedom and life here.

Second reading

His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:17 NIV)

Wheat and waste. I feel a deep hunger to be wheat that is gathered up into the barn of Jesus. I want the chaff of my life to be burned with His holy fire. I feel grateful places of His refining work in my life, in our marriage, in my ministry. It is hard, painful and humbling. It is also leads to goodness, joy and being lifted into the Presence. I feel gratitude for these difficult gifts. I see new places of felt peace, joy and spiritual energy that are the fruit of this moment of our journey.

Third reading

And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them… And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:18, 22 NIV)

I feel invited to pay attention for words of exhortation or good news today. Perhaps one of them will be the Father’s expression of love and pleasure.

Father, I welcome Your Spirit to open the ears and eyes of my heart to hear and see what You are giving to me. Thank You for Your great faithfulness.

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A Witness of Jesus


IMG_0834I’ve heard a lot said about the responsibility of Christians to be good witnesses of Jesus. In my evangelical experience, witnessing is a verb referring to the activity of, in some form or another, outlining the content of the gospel to someone who is not yet aware of it.

As I’ve thought about this, it strikes me what a witness does in a court setting. A witness simply tells the story of what they themselves have seen. They share their perspective on a happening. They speak of what they have actually witnessed.

In inviting us to “bear witness” (John 15: 27, for example), Jesus is not so much telling us to be attorneys, seeking to convince someone of something. He does not call us to be the judge, deciding who is innocent and who is guilty, who is in and who is out. He calls us to be witnesses, and a witness’s sole reason for being present is to talk about what she has seen and heard. To speak of something that we have not personally witnessed is to be guilty of hearsay.

Question: Are we making sufficient time to see (witness) Jesus in our lives and circumstances so that have something of Him to bear witness of to others?

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Led By the Spirit into the Wilderness


I’ve been struck recently by the line in Luke 4:1 where, having just been baptized by John and hearing the loving, affirming, delighting voice of the Father, the Spirit lead him into the wilderness where he is tempted by the devil. The wilderness is not where I expect the Spirit to ever lead me. But, if I follow Jesus, I should not be surprised when seasons of testing come into my life.

Reginald Somerset Ward, a spiritual director I’ve been quoting here quite often recently, spoke to this same theme with, perhaps, rather rigorous words:

“And what can possibly be the meaning of this coldness and darkness of the soul? Surely it is God’s test. How should we ever grow without tests? We say to God, ‘I want Thee more than I can say.’ God replies, ‘Do you really want Me?’ And straightaway in our prayers we find darkness and coldness, and the numbing loss of energy. If we were speaking the truth, we go on praying in spite of it; if we were not, we stop. And if we go on praying, the darkness becomes not a hindrance but a help, for the measure by which God values our prayers is the amount of desire in them, and it shows much greater desire to pray in darkness than in the light.

For this reason it has been said that we walk faster on the Road to God in darkness than in light. If you persist in prayer through darkness, you will assuredly find yourself after the darkness has passed much nearer to God.” (Morgan, Edmund R. Reginald Somerset Ward: His Life and Letters. London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd, 1963, p. 141.)

Part of me hears this as a rather harsh and Spartan vision of the Christian life. I hear this vision of God saying, “So you want me more than anything, huh? Well we’ll see about that!” He sounds vindictive, not really believing my intention, and reserving a “wait and see” posture towards me.

But I also realize that such tests are the only way I come to know what my actual level of willingness is. I say I want all kinds of things. Some of them are fleeting whims. Do I really want to invest as much effort seeking their fulfillment as I would a truly deep and holy desire? Doesn’t such a testing process help me by focusing my attention and efforts, eventually, towards what is truly the longing of my heart? I realize that most of whatever wisdom I currently have has come through these trying experiences that have helped me sort out what I really believe, really want and really intend.

Question: How might your current challenges, difficulties or troubles serve as a means of refining what it is you truly and deeply want?

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You Must Be Born Again


What does new birth and growth in Christ look like?

John 3:3, “In reply Jesus declared, `I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’”

Galatians 4:19, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..”

The process of birth is a helpful metaphor for thinking about Christian conversion and growth. Birth is not an event but a process. What happens on the day a baby is born has been taking shape for nine months. And what happens on that birthday continues to develop for years and decades to come.

Spiritual birth is no different. Those given opportunity to midwife another into new life will experience labor pains in prayer until Christ is formed in the people of God for whom they care. This is what formation is about.

And what does it mean that Paul prays passionately and painfully for his dear children in whom Christ is not yet fully formed in them.

Continue reading →

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Learning to Listen to God


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The “Facilitator’s Community” who will be leading Journey Generation 2 in the Dominican Republic

“It is for this reason that I would most strongly suggest that you should make pauses in your Mental Prayer that you should have short periods of silence when you try to listen instead of speaking to Him.

And if you will persevere in this, you will find that He is indeed speaking. He does not speak in any words you can hear with your ears, or even fully understand with your mind, but by sudden illuminations, by secret intuitions and by convincing certainties. He makes His meaning and His will clear to the soul who is seeking the inner knowledge.” (Morgan, Edmund R. Reginald Somerset Ward: His Life and Letters. London: A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd, 1963, p. 128.)

This is a helpful way to describe what I have experienced in the context of extended personal communion (EPC) times with God and in moments of quiet prayer. I do not hear an audible voice. I never have, and I would be surprised if I ever did in the future. I wouldn’t even say that I often have a mental voice. That has happened a few times. I share the story of hearing a strong thought in my mind to “Go swing on the swings” in An Unhurried Life (p. 162-63). But I have often had an intuition, a sense, a quiet idea that I came to discern as His still, small voice to me; encouraging, counseling, guiding or simply loving me.

I have had the experience of an unexpected insight “out of nowhere” that comes when I’ve been quiet a while. In leading the Journey last week in the Dominican Republic, I was walking to breakfast and had a rapid series of thoughts about Jesus invitation to go make disciples that became the focus of that morning’s session in place of what I had planned. It clearly hit a bulls-eye based on the response of the community.

How might you make some space to simply offer your attention to the One Who treasures it most?

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