Blue Waters

So as I was fishing with my dad and grandpa off the coast of Dana Point I had something come to mind. It was a day after the Santa Ana winds which plague my sinus' and bring much wind and dirt from the land to the sea. Needless to say the water in the harbor, as always, was murky in comparison to the waters just outside the harbor. This murky water of course supported life, it just had lots of stuff in it. We then went fishing just south of Dana Point off the coast of the San Onofre Power plant. The water was clearer and seemed to be teaming with kelp and activity, but it was still kind of murky. We fished here for about 2 hours with nothing short of a bite.

I was thinking to myself, "I really miss the ocean and how beautiful it is," while looking at the still murky green water.

We were not catching anything, then my dad said, "The water must be too dirty here, lets go find some cleaner water." As we upped anchor I looked out to the open sea and saw nothing but brownish green water around me, thinking..."Good luck... the whole ocean looks like this."

We set for a spot about 15 miles north of Dana Point to world famous surf spot Trestles. We got there and the water was sheltered from the wind. On the hills entering the water they were covered in grass and the water was blue. Then I remember thinking, "We for sure are going to catch some fish here." I caught 1 fish all day.

The water at the second spot seemed to be a more brilliant blue than my eyes had seen in a long time. Check out THIS PICTURE for somewhat of a visual of what I'm about to talk about.

The murky water of the Harbor was my first view of the ocean in a long time, it looked beautiful! As we got out of the harbor the water seemed to clear up and get cleaner, but still was green and murky. It wasn't until we got to a sheltered point of ocean, or off the coast more that the water truly cleared up and we could catch some fish. All the water looked beautiful at one point or another, but without seeing just how blue the water could get, you would be happy just sitting in the harbor.

The other day as I read ch. 3 of the revelation, I was interested to hear what Darrell said about the lukewarm verse that I had heard quoted since I was 5 years old.

"Lord, Help us! It is the nature of lukewarmness to be unaware that it is lukewarm." (DJ. 123)

The harbor is beautiful, outside the harbor is beautiful, the open ocean is beautiful. Without being in the open ocean I never would have known how nice it was.

Being out on the ocean reminded me the longer we learn and search for Jesus, the deeper and Bluer our understanding of Him is. What's even greater is that my definition of "deep-blue" keeps changing as I continue to learn. I look back and say, "Man what was beautiful at the time is just the surface of how beautiful a life with Christ can be."

"What does Jesus do with this 'Wretched' church? He moves toward them! He does not want them to remain in that nauseating condition. They were made for him and for the life of which he is the foundation and source." (DJ 123)

He comes to us [me] in the murky water and brings us [me] out to the deeper-truer-blue waters of His love, grace, and mercy. He cares for us [me] ! Enough to sit with us [me] in murky water.

May my mind be exposed to the ever deeper understanding of what it is to be in relationship with Christ.

Holy

Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty who was and is and is to come. Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. (Rev Ch 4: 8 + 11)

Man now I've been thinking how these angels and Kings are shouting these things non stop. I do not worship non stop - most of us don't but even when I do I'm asking my self "Do I see God to this degree?" "Am I watering down God?" What these angels and kings say in the presence of the Lord are huge if they are being said IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

I am also going through Jonah right now on my own and In chapter 1 - when all the sailors are wondering why the storms are so tempestuous - Jonah says it is his God, and asks the men to throw Him in the sea.... what?! throw him in the sea?! Okay so I know he probably would get thrown in, but I have previously overlooked that Jonah himself asked to be overthrown...

Now Do I worship God and come back to God each day asking to be overthrown?

Holy Lord almighty throw me into tempestuous seas so i may see you receive honor and power and glory for all things for you are so worthy I will sacrifice my life for your son who was sacrificed.

Amen

Week 2

"These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. "

Double-edged sword...Since the moment I first read over the term describing the risen Lord Jesus appearing to John in chapter 1, I have been really uneasy about this term. D. Johnson does a great job diving into the term deeper and explaining the point of reference for Jesus to mention the term when speaking to Pergamum on pages 76-77, but I am having the hardest time truly understanding this term. Understand, I believe, is an inappropriate term to describe what I am experiencing, more so accept the term to describe the mouth of Jesus. That "Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword." The one who came to earth from God the Father, was born by a virgin, lived a perfect sinless life, and was crucified to save me from my sins has a double edged sword jetting out of his lips? I am still sitting and praying with this one. If anyone has an insight to share on this please, I would love different ways to help me wrap my brain around this term.

Tolerate: to allow the existence, presence, practice, or act, without prohibition or hindrance. (Thank you dictionary.com) To tolerate is the "both/and" position which was infecting the church of Thyatira. The people were compromising to the " now" or "the way things are" belief of life. (p. 91) This doesn't correspond to what Jesus taught while walking on Earth. But how many times do I tolerate "the way things are"? I don't speak up through my actions or even words to communicate the undying love and compassion my Father has for me on a personal, individual level. I allow this toleration without recognition sometimes. We even prize this in our society today. It is considered polite to show tolerance when referring to religion, politics, or moral matters.

Jesus is presented as being "passionately intolerant...because he loves the truth, he IS the truth." (p. 79)

Imagine a world full of passionately intolerant Christians roaming the streets, offices, colleges, and homes driven by the one true fact that Jesus is truth. TRUTH. A place where the "both/and" is nonexistant due to the fearless strength of each folowers faith. How drastically different would it all look?

Week 2 - Steve's Synagogue of Satan

Observation 1 – I am a synagogue of Satan more from my addiction to morality rather than my addiction to immorality. My addiction to morality insidiously numbs me to settle behind a veil of good, prudent choices. My historical record of prudency becomes a self-made altar of good choices that sits outside the new Jerusalem in a place of death and cloaked shame. I offer Jesus my constrained passions to immorality and I feel like He says, “so what?” What good is constrained immorality without passion surrendered to me, the author of passion and intimate communion?” My morality actually interferes/retards my pursuit of Jesus. Please Jesus, more of you, less of me.

Observation 2 - The thought of writing to my bride and confessing to her that I believe that she has abandoned her love for me rips as deep a whole in my heart as I can imagine. These words spoken from the heart of Jesus in Revelation 2 must have been incredibly painful. Such painful words and yet the ripped heart of God, body broken and blood shed, romances (draws) his bride.

He is so, so, so, so, so good. To say "goodness on steroids" falls so, so short. I can't comprehend or harness His goodness. I can draw near it (through grace). I can feel its warmth. I can face His sword which cuts me to pieces as I fall into his blaze of goodness which consumes me as a living sacrifice and occupies the temple of my heart with glory and smokes my shrine of death with his eternal fire.

Week 2 Passages:
Passages that stood out – “The purpose of Revelation is two fold. First, to set this present moment in light of the future. . . . And second, to set this present moment in light of the unseen realities of the present.” Page 62.
“The risen Lord Jesus stands in the middle of His churches!” – Page 64.
“The more faithful we are to Jesus Christ, the greater the pressure.” Page 68.

"Blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over me" -JC

In another study I am in we have been reading Luke 7 everyday this week. It is only Tuesday and the "inter-twine-ed-ness" of the scriptures blows me away. Jesus' message to his followers in Luke 7 and His message to His churches in the revelation are the same. "It is all about me- JESUS. Blessed are you when you don't stumble over me". The church (I) just keeping stumbling over Jesus when we turn to other non-gods to fill and fulfill us. The writer of Hebrews says "without faith it is impossible to please God". In Luke 7 Jesus multiple times speaks of and affirms faith that doesn't at times look like mine. Often times my faith looks more like the Pharisee Simon, faith in my own righteousness. That type of faith doesn't please God or find a place in His kingdom. When you get a chance read through Luke 7 and then revelation 3.

My Chains are Gone, the TRUTH has Set Me Free

Pergamum...the battle for the mind.  Isn't that where we find ourselves today?  Bombarded with commercials, web ads, billboards, and lectures from professors and even pastors.  People or companies are daily telling us how we should act, what we should wear, how we should look or some four step plan to get closer to God.

"It is the ideas that come to us wrapped in religious language which are more difficult to spot and resist."p77

This is what worries me.  So many times people tell us what to believe or think, even on theology.  But, what does Jesus think?  What do the Scriptures say?  Have we really read them?  Have we really sought Him out?  Or have we taken them for granted?  These types of people can make us comfortable in church.  I read this allegory about "The King's Army"  In it the enemy put up a screen around the King's camp so they couldn't see the desert/nothingness around them.  Because they couldn't see there was fear.  They became comfortable in the camp and fearful to leave it.  This is where I see the American church.  Wrapped in religious language it's OK to have the nice car and big house, it's taking care of your family and being a good stuart, but do we see that in the Scriptures?  I find them to say " be generous, bless others, and store up heavenly treasures."

What other tables have we dined at?  Money? School?  Grades?  Family?  Pornography?  Our own table?  Image?  Status?  Ministry Success?  All are nothing in comparison the the LORD.  I really liked this quote:

"Here Jesus presents himself as passionately intolerant.  Why?  Because he loves the truth, he speak the truth, he is the truth.  And because, as he claims elsewhere, falsehood and deception of any kind enslaves people.  Jesus is passionately intolerant because his is passionately intolerant of people being enslaved." p. 79

How many of us walk around in chains?  Enslaved to lies, enslaved to the other tables we dine at or the compromises we make?  We may take them off to come to church, or perhaps come to church in them.  But, we choose to walk around in chains when we have already been set FREE!  As Darrell says in another book "We don't know what to pray for, instead of praying for freedom, we pray for a carpet for our prison cell."  WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE!   And we should live as such, free people.  Jesus hates when his people are enslaved.

To go with the Bridegroom analogy.  Christ has got a beautiful white wedding dress for His bride.  Having made compromises and dined at other tables, we say "Jesus, that dress is too nice for me...I don't deserve it, I'm not good enough."
Our Savior says, "But, child, I bought this dress for you.  I paid for it with my blood.  And it fits you perfectly."  The dress has been bought and paid for.  Yet so many times we choose to walk around in rags and leave the dress in the closet.  (Potts)

Truth is the reality.  A reality where affirmations are the norm not once a week.  Where prayer for your friends and strangers is a multiple time a day activity.  Where money is given away, where the unlovable are lovable.  Where ministry is life.  This is the reality I long for, I strive for and I'm walking in.  This study and many other factors over the past couple years I have come to see Jesus in new light, have a new passion and "FIRST LOVE" for Him.

The Bright Morning Star

If there's one thing that makes me overwhelmingly excited and juiced off how big God is, it's interconnectedness. I love how He weaves the different parts of our life together so that everything converges into one crazy love song. He just keeps feeding me exactly what I need to hear!

The past few weeks at my on-campus fellowship, we've been doing a sermon series focusing on the biographies of some prominent Christians from history - but not necessarily ones who are known primarily as such. The first was Pascal, and then this past week was Bonhoeffer. So, of course, I laughed out loud when Darrell referenced him this week saying: "the human heart has the capacity for only one all-encompassing, all-embracing allegience." And it carries with it so much more depth and meaning if you've just been told about Bonhoeffer's unswerving allegience to His LORD in the face of Nazi Germany.

And I LOVE the morning star analogy. The worst is over! How encouraging to know that even when the night is still so thick, everything that needs to be done has already been done.

"... the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining!" - 1 John 2:8

"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness." - 1 Thessalonians 5:5

“I, Jesus (YHWH to the rescue!), have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I AM the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” - Revelation 22:16

Thanks, Abba.

Week 1 Post Liberated from Space and Time to Week 3 :)

Revelation Chapter 1 – Book 13-49.

Passages that stood out for week 1 (some of you have highlighted these as well)

1. “the whole book is written to bring us to the razor-sharp point of decision; whovwill be the Lord of my life and the world” (or my perceptions of the world.) – Page 15.

2. From Eugene Peterson – “Everything in the Revelation can be found in the previous sixty-five books of the bible….I don’t read Revelation to get more information but to revive my imagination.” – Page 21.

3. Paraphrase of page 23 – Revelation = art gallery.

4. DJ on page 24 asks, “where is Jesus in all of this?” I think the answer is – being born. . . .which is a Revelation!

5. “The glorified son of man is in the middle! Not above, looking down. Not outside, looking in. But in the middle. Right there in the middle of the churches!” – Page 42.

Reflection from week 1 - Luke 12:40 - the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

So if I expect him, then he’s not coming. Seems similar to don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Which takes me to the “sheep” nature where the sheep say before Jesus, “wait, when did we clothe the naked, feed the hungry, etc.?” which pushes me to “he must increase and I must decrease” and leaves me cheerfully affirming that the Revelation seems much more like a passionate dance of surrender to salvation than a fulfillment of chronology.... unless of course fulfillment of chronology means Christ invading moment by moment my empty, dead time/space chronos that I call "time" with His fullness.

To what you have, hold fast until I come

Sorry for my silence in the last week.

Part way through last week, after a reference DJ made in the commentary and amidst my cynicism toward this study and my view of self and others, I got stuck in Jeremiah 2 for a couple of days:

"[You] went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty"

"[You] have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to make for yourselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water"

"I broke your yoke and tore off your bonds; but you said, 'I will not serve!' "

"On every high hill and under every green tree you have lain down as a harlot"

"[You are] a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her heat who can turn her away?"

"Can a virgin forget her ornaments or a bride her attire? Yet [you] have forgotten Me days without number"

Bazinga.

"Where's Emily?"

Oh, there she is: Over there on that high hill - AGAIN. Over there under that green tree - AGAIN.

"Where's Emily?"

Off pursuing what she wants, off "sniffing the wind in her passion."

"But what about her veil? And her pearls? And the ring for her husband?"

Yeah, she forgot those too.

"But how? No girl forgets her veil or her jewelry or the ring for her husband on her wedding day!"

Oh, but Emily does.

(Enter the most disgustedly sincere Cable Guy "ehhhh" here.)

Sooo after wallowing in that for a bit, my takeaway was:

But LORD, I don't want my lampstand removed! I don't want to be found unfruitful for you! I don't want to be one who whores herself around at every corner! What I want, Jesus, is to be found in you! What I want is to be enveloped by your love and to love you passionately from my core. You are my first love! And you are my last love. You are the Alpha and Omega of the love of my life!

And here is where I ended up.

Same message as always: Emily, keep abiding in me.

Now, fast forward to this week. More cynicism, more doubt, more I'm not so sure about this Revelation study but I feel obligated to participate in it, more dragging my feet about blogging.

And then this morning:

"Jesus (Yahweh-to-the-rescue) calls the disciples in Thyatira to hold onto what they have - to hold on to him and the fullness of life in him (2:25). And he calls them to reject, decisively and vigorously, the spirit of compromise. For compromising our commitment to him is spiritual adultery, and spiritual adultery leads to spiritual sickness and, eventually, to spiritual death. The question, then, is how? How do we remain loyal in the marketplace? It is not easy. How do we maintain the courage and grace to follow Jesus without compromise? [How do I maintain the courage and grace to keep myself off "every high hill and under every green tree"?]" By keeping our eyes fixed on him; by keeping his face before us. Lose sight of who he is and we lose the desire and strength to remain loyal." (p. 92)

Emily, abide. How many times do I have to remind you? Abide, abide, abide! Keep your eyes fixed on me. It's the only way to overcome "hospitality service" and their "sweet and strong" temptation. It's the only way to avoid ending up on another high hill or under another green tree. Keep your eyes fixed on me, and together we'll navigate life. No compromise - only "first love" loyalty.

Jesus' call is clear: "To what you have, hold fast until I come."

Prone to Leave the God I Love

Going along with everyone else, the part in the book about us forgetting our first love really struck me. I haven't been able to put my finger on how I've been feeling since I've been home from the summer but to simply put it, I think I forgot who my first love was. In the midst of working on my grad school applications tonight, I came across the lyrics that I had saved from the song Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. The following lines really resonated deeply:

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood;

How His kindness yet pursues me

Mortal tongue can never tell,

Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me

I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

This has always been one of my favorite hymns, but often times when I sing it I don't pay much attention to the words. I probably should though, I'd learn a thing or two! The great thing about this song is that it reminds us that yeah, we screw up. We forget our first love. We wander like a little lost sheep. But God finds us and pulls us out of the mud and brings us back to Him no matter what. No matter how many times we forget our first love, He's still there and He will continue to whisper to us, "come back."

To the Church In Trevor's heart

"and to the angel of the church in Trevor's heart [Church in Sardis] write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know of your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few pieces [names] in Trevor [Sardis], pieces [people] who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white for the are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

This letter in particular always speaks to me.

Trevor

Week 2 Snidbits

"Sometimes we are under pressure because we are making careless, wrong or ungodly choices. But sometimes we are under pressure because we are making wise, right, and godly choices" (67).

This is a quote that resonated deep with me. Over the past few weeks I have been able to see some friends from back at home (who have been home for the holidays and what not) and so I has been hanging out with them, catching up (not chit-chatting:). Well, being home with them proved to be really difficult to actually hang out and be around them for a long duration of time. I was sharing with some friends the pressure I felt I was under at Thanksgiving, but then I experienced it again over Christmas and New Years time. Bear with me as I try to unravel this into words since it is twofold.
First, I was feeling spiritually attacked and not encouraged in Christ when I was around them. It was not like they were being crude or awful in dialect but almost worse; they were making me feel worthless and really made me question my story, the story God gave me. It was really odd experiencing this pressure, the pressure to fit in with the world but what weighed heavier on my heart was the fact that for a minute, I let the pressure get to my head where I was "ashamed" per say of the story God has given me to share with other. Just because I cannot relate to people because of my experiences or lack of experiences does not mean that I should be quiet about who I am. Quite the contrary, I should be bold and proud of who the Lord has made me to be. I was being persecuted because of the godly choices I was making and had been making and I need to see God in those and not allow for Satan to steal away the joy that I have in Christ because of it. I was not to be ashamed of the fact that I was living for Christ when they were clearly not. "Be faithful until death" (2:10)

Not only that, in regards to being with those friends, I came to a realization that tied into these chapters as well, into God's jealousy for me. I realized that being with people from home was nice, in regards to catching up, but it was also hard because I realized that they do not know me. Yeah, sure, they are able to give me facts about myself, but they do not know my heart, where I am with the Lord, my reactions to things, or how I experience life. They held on to facts of who I was in the past rather than to who I was now. That was a hard reality. It was refreshing in a sense because I wasn't going to pour my heart and soul out on the table but it also really made me sad thinking that they could really care less to take the time to actually get to me at the root of me. So this pours into the God channel. As I was thinking about this concept, the idea of people really taking the time to get to know someone for who they really are, I was convicted. Was I allowing for God to know me? And I could answer yes to that question. But was I taking the time to really know God? And my answer was no. It broke my heart thinking that that same hurt that I was feeling is hurting so much more for Christ. "You have forsaken you true love" (2:9). And I was. And it hurt admitting that, and it hurt thinking about it, but it was what I was doing. And then came the humbling process of "remember repenting and redoing" (61) followed by the redemption and forgiveness lesson. It was great and painful, and I am here today because of his Grace.

~Cass

Some Reflections on Week 2

I have been so encouraged by this study! It has been a long time since I felt like I have “loved God with all my mind” and if this isn’t loving God with all my mind I don’t know what is! I appreciate how Darrell breaks down all the differing thoughts or opinions on what a passages might mean, and then tells us what he believes to be the most logical or correct thought. One example of this that stuck me is his dialogue on the “To the angle of the church in…” back in chapter 3. As an aside, HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! My prayer has been that God would pull back my blinders that I might just get a glimpse of the things unseen. I am reminded of the books Piercing the Darkness and This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Jesus is whether we acknowledge it or not. I should say THANKFULLY Jesus is moving in and among his church whether we acknowledge him or not.

Lindsey and I have been struggling trying to find a church we are excited about and feel we can get involved in. And while I could fill up the blog just with my thoughts on this, I needed to be reminded that Jesus is at work. Our job is to humbly ask how we can work alongside Him in what He is already doing. That, in and of itself, is an idea we can get excited about and involved in! I share this only because it is part of not forgetting our first love. We are called to be a part of a body of believers. Using the bridegroom analogy – When Lindsey and I got married, it wasn’t just Lindsey and I on our wedding day; it was Lindsey and I along with a wedding party and all the wedding guests. The reason we had guests and a wedding party was because there were other people who were involved in our relationship and lives. A relationship without community won’t flourish nor survive. We had to have family and friends that supported us both individually and as a couple. The same goes in our relationship to Christ. Without a body of believers to support, encourage, correct, and challenge us, the relationship won’t flourish or survive.

In my journal I wrote out a list of things that I used to do to “enjoy my first love”. As I looked over it, I noticed that half of the disciplines or practices on that list involved other people. For example, getting up at 5:30 in the morning to go meet friends for a bible study, group worship and prayer nights, mission trips, and serving in the youth group. These are collective efforts that can’t be done individually. I am thankful for a savior that knows the value of being in community and not only recommends it, but demands it. It must be the Trinitarian-relationship in him!

(On a totally different note, I had to comment on how much I love seeing Darrell’s humor in this book! Like when he says, “…some churches ought to request a change of angels” or “And later to Colorado Spings…just kidding!” Classic!)

It's not going to be easy! Simple? Yes. Easy? NO!

After catching up on the blog this afternoon, many of the ideas I was thinking about blogging (is that a word?) were already spoken for, good work people, it's encouraging to see what others are thinking, and I'm not the feeling the "just me?" :)

I was, as many of you were, struck by chapter 2 of the Word, especially when Jesus writes to the church of Ephesus. Reading it I was reminded about the Trainee program at camp --- SPOILER ALERT--- So often we fall into the doing doing doing... mentality I'm doing all this stuff... look at me... I'm so great, but we often feel so empty and used up. Remembering that doing follows being brings us back to the true heart of Jesus statement Rev 2:4.

I hear Jesus saying... "don't forget this... doing follows being!" Come'on!!!

While at a wedding yesterday the words "don't screw this up" were spoken to the bride from her father (harsh a the time but thinking about it now... as often... good advice). We have this great thing in knowing Jesus, I want so badly not to screw it up. Keep my eyes focused on Him. Jesus says Love me first... all the rest will follow! Doing follows being... be in love with Jesus and my doing shall follow.

A few years ago at Vineyard Church Pastor Mike asked the question if we were human BEINGs or a human DOING? "Keep the main thing the main thing." I was reminded of this question also throughout the reading as well. We are created to be human beings, not just human doings.

-----

In reading Versus 8-11 I was reminded of a strong visual that I maybe heard in church at one time, and became very vibrant this summer. The picture is of a person taking care of silk worms in a box (I remember this from elementary school learning about the life cycle). The person was responsible for feeding the worms with just the right leaves. After a specific amount of time the worms would cocoon and undergo a big transformation for a un-veiling of a beautiful creature.

The Caretaker of the worms feeds them, takes care of them, and looks after them, then he sees them go into a cocoon, then a while later he notices that a few have been un-veiled but still a few are just about to poke their heads out. If the Caretaker aids the new bugs in taking them out of their cocoon it does not allow them to go through the needed stress and struggle to fill their wings with air.

I'm reminded of when Jesus, Predicting his death in John 12:27. If He just came in at any sign of struggle it would not allow us to go through what we need to go through to see the true beauty which He has created us for. Also think of coal becoming a diamond through immense pressure!

I love the quote near the bottom of pg 73 in Johnson's book:

"'I will give you the crown of life... you will not be hurt by the second death.' Those who are born again in Jesus-those who come to life in Jesus- do not die the second death. So E.V. Hill of Los Angeles used to proclaim, ' Those who are born once, die twice; those who are born twice, die once.' I'm into dying just once-{sometimes over and over for the same idols}".

1. Doing follows being.

2. The pressure is so precious (pushes us to new life), it doesn't get easier.

3. Born 1 X = Die 2 X's : Born 2X's = Die 1 X!

4. Thanks God!

He fights for us AND(!!) with us

"Here is the good news: Jesus Christ will not let us be captive to false ideas. He is fighting for our minds!" (86)

This is exactly(!!!!!!!) what I've been needing to hear. Once again, I have succumb to willfully trying to hold onto truths about God so that I can stay faithful and obedient. Yet, I have unwillfully failed because for short moments in time I have decided to give into false ideas, leaving my view on God, the world, and myself skewed - and it's devastating.

I feel so incredibly frustrated with disobedience. I prayed for a chance to share Jesus with someone all week, as well as the boldness to do it. God was faithful, and I was not. A classmate, who I met on this lab day, and I did a lab together and talked about all sorts of things because it was a 4 hour lab. Eventually, he asked what I did do with all my time, since he realized I didn't have a job and I'm not pursuing grad school, therefore something must take my time. My response did not involve spending time serving a loving God.

I am discovering that I cannot to all to much without God controlling every single thing. In other words, I'm not clutch. When it comes down to it, I screw it up. And I'm defeated in it. Every morning, I get up and spend time with the Jealous God, but as the day progresses I move farther away. I'm requesting daily bread, but only feeding on it when I remember to. I literally feel like I am legitimately forgetting what to do, and so the how I can do it is irrelevant. Anyway, to conclude and draw this in: I am falling into false ideas that have led me into a rough patch the past week or so. And the worst part has been that I've felt so alone. I see others around me and they seem like they can stick to the truth. Whereas, my head knows the truth, my mouth speaks it, but my heart turns from it when it matters most.

For a prescription, I picture myself being a vampire (just go with it). You kill a vampire by brutally hammering a stake into it's heart. Man, I need Jesus to brutally hammer himself into my heart (and I need to practice discipline better, because I'm lacking in this area more than I thought). Throughout the past several days, I have bought into the false idea that Jesus can't really help with this. Yes, he loves me, wants to satisfy me, and forgives me by his grace. But, I have bought into the idea that Jesus is not CURRENTLY fighting for me, because I need to prove my faith through obedience and right thinking. I have fallen into a skewed reality (does this remind anyone of Leonardo's wife in "Inception"?), where one important, false idea can ruin you: the idea that I HAVE to do this one thing without Jesus.

Yet, there is good news. And with Darrell's helped, the Word of God is shown it to me: Jesus is fighting for our minds. With that, I hope I can once again begin to push back toward reality - and not do this alone.

What Reality are you living in?

As a student when you head to houseboats, missions, retreats etc. you experience the "God High."  You had seen the Risen Lord face to face.  You come back and you are on fire, passionate.  Then, slowly, your temperature cools as you adjust to the cold environment around you.  I see this all the time.  I also experienced this in my early years as a staff at the camp. People would always say "Camp, it's a bubble, that's not REALITY."

What I have come to realize is that what if that (camp) is the reality God has for His people?  And the "Reality" we choose to live in back at home for a majority of our time is the "bubble" or false reality?  To me Camp is everyday, that is the reality I live in.  That's what stuck out to me in the first chapter.  "Things are not as the seem"(p. 19.)  This is repeated over and over.  Revelation being the "unveiling" and we see the term unveiling of an invisible reality.

I choose to live in God's Reality.  Reality where I am His son, I am holy, I am special, I am whole, I am valued, all of those I AMs we are so familiar with aren't just on paper, they are TRUE!  And so God calls me everyday to live in this Reality and live as such.

There's the reality that God is my First Love.  Wow, this chapter I'm still processing.  It was hard to not underline everything!  Holy Spirit was num chucking me!  Working in the Lutheran Church I struggle with this all the time, it's so frustrating to me.  "The church is buzzing with doing." (p. 55)  We have our school, we have confirmation, we have a lot going on, missions etc.  But, we lost our first love as some translations put it.  I have found myself here many times .  Over the past couple years I've discovered we need not be consumed by doing, but by "being."  Simply being His children, longing to spend time with Him.  Everything flows out of "being" or "relationship" as the theology of a healthy balance has it (ultra packet.)

I have been dating this girl for a few months now and I'm pretty crazy about her.  Like the book I would do anything to spend time with her.  I'd work less, give up money, drive far, talk for hours, set up a special evening for her.  So this idea of "First Love" really resonates.  Over a year ago when I was interested in a girl and I was thinking about her a lot.  I heard God say to me " I wish the way you felt about her, you felt about me."  That's first love.

God is a romancer.  That may be weird for some guys to say, but it's the truth.  The way we completely rearrange our schedules and set up dates to make girls feel special, God does the same for us.  He wants to spend time with us, He thinks about us, writes notes to us.  So this year I started doing God dates, not just a quite time, but an extended time where I go somewhere with God.  This is new for me, but it's been pretty rad.  God is so much bigger than we ever give Him credit for.

I have always loved the bridegroom analogy.  I cannot take credit for this, but I'm going to share it.  At a wedding when the bride starts walking down the isle and the music is playing, everyone stands and looks at her.  She's so pretty.  But her eyes, they are focused on one thing, the man down the isle.  And eventually all eyes follow her up the the man (Potts.)  I feel like that is how we are to be.  So captivated by our First Love and Romancer that all eyes will follow us to Him.

Check List

This week I have been constantly reminded how human we truly are and how each one of us is in need of constant reminders of such.



For example, Ephesus, one of the most influential churches in Christianity (home to Mary Jesus mother!) is "buzzing."(p. 55) "All the members are actively involved, all working for the advancement of the kingdom of God." (p. 55) But after all these acknowledgements Jesus makes about the church in Ephesus (I know..."your hard work," "your deeds," your perseverance," "you do not tolerate wicked men," and "you test false prophets") Jesus knows the true, real, juicy, heart and flesh of their souls when he says, "You have lost your first love." (p. 57)



I am moved by this statement in multiple different ways, but right now I am focusing on our human tendencies. I find myself getting so lost in the day, I begin to make lists and I am sorry to say it my time with God gets throw into the list as well. Then as the day progresses I start to ask myself, "have I read my chapter in Romans for the day? Did I journal? Have I written on the blog?" And the check list begins and grows. But this week, this statement that Jesus makes to this busy church, a church that is working as one body to grow the Kingdom but has lost the true love of the relationship, "you have lost your first love." I find myself alongside the members of this church as I fall into the "busy" part of what I perceive in my mind as to what I need to do to grow in Christ. Then I find moments like this, where I am reminded of that child-like faith, that love that draws and beckons me closer no matter what the situation or circumstance is around me.



But I reminded of our human nature. That we are not perfect and as much as I may try and push myself to check of that next box on my silly little list, the only thing I need to try to do is remember that first love I felt when God welcomed me home. I think D. Johnson said it best-REMEMBER, REPENT, AND RE-DO!

It's not You, it's me

"Can you feel the lover's pain in the question? 'What did I do wrong? Come back.'" -page 61

Everything that needs to be done has been done, and has been done by Him! He did nothing wrong. I did. It's not you Lord, it's me! This is an easy fact to acknowledge, but not an easy reality to live within. My pride gets in the way. My self-righteousness won't have it.

"What did I do wrong?"

And repent. Reid, you shared a similar concept of repentance at AIA a few months back, and it hasn't left my frontal lobe since. It's not just saying sorry and hanging your head in shame. If that's all it is, your head may be down, but you're still headed in the same direction! Christ's call is to turn around, face Him, His shining face, blazing eyes. Christ, not shame, is the fuel for real change and restoration. Shame restores religion and disconnect. Christ restores relationship and intimacy.

"Come back."

Re-do. God pushed my reset button last summer. I won't let Him now. There's too much I want to hold onto. Position, image, activities, friendships, the list goes on. And all of these things? They came from Him. But I've forgotten my first love.

"What am I doing here

If you're not with me?

What have I got to live for, if it's just my own dream

Take it back to the beginning, back to the start

When gravity's pulling, you're still holding my heart

You come crashing down" -Crashing Down by Mat Kearney

Take it back to the beginning! Come crashing down!

He who has an ear.

I'm likely going to be made fun of for this, but this morning I had the passage read to me, so that I could hear it. And it changed my response to Yeshua's words in a couple interesting ways.

First, I had a powerful response when I heard "I know your deeds". For some reason the idea of hearing God say that is far more convicting but also far more exciting than reading it. I find myself hearing a voice over and over again saying "I know your deeds"

The other thing that stuck out more prominently as the passage was read was the structure. Jesus starts by saying that they are writing to the angel of the church, giving his credentials, a celebration of positive traits, a concise rebuke of things that are not of himself, followed by the phrase "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Who is "he who has an ear"? ... Oh shoot, I've got two, I'd better listen up!

First Love

"But I have this against you," says Jesus, "You have left your first love".  He who holds the angels in His right hand, walks among the churches, knows the real condition of our souls, sees through all the activity, all the patience, all the orthodoxy - he tells the church that it is flawed at the center.  The church has everything except the one thing Jesus deserves. "I have this against you, you have left your first love." pg 57 (top)
Reading this the last few days I have come to the slow realization that I do not know the real condition of my soul.  I cannot see through the activity, through the patience or lack of, through all the orthodoxy or lack of or that I am flawed at the very center!  My initial response is, "I have not left my first love!" Oh Reid, you know that the moment someone says "I haven't done that!" or "I am not that way!" only exposes themselves to the fact that they have done that and they are that way!
Jesus says that for all their hard work, patient endurance and orthodoxy the Ephesians were no longer "in love" with Him.  Affection and intimacy were gone.   Israel began to flirt with other lovers, with gods of the people around her.  And soon she was more in love with those other gods - materialism, comfort, entertainment, financial security. She kept going through the external forms of devotion to Yahweh, yet she was no longer in love with God.  Over and over again we hear God plead with Israel, calling her back: "I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me" (Jer 2:2); "What fault did you find in me that you strayed so far from
me?"  page 57
 
Ouch that last question cut me deep! "No fault Lord! I have found no fault in you" is my response.  Only to hear the Lord whisper "Then why do you flirt with these other gods - non gods -  materialism, comfort, entertainment, financial security.  So often I get caught up in the external devotion to Yahweh that i do not realize I have been flirting with other gods...non-gods!

REMEMBER - REPENT - REDO!

Seams of Reality

My psycholinguistics professor said something really interesting in his intro lecture, that just screamed Revelation at me. He said we study psycholinguistics "on the seams of language." When we want to figure out how our brains process and language and how the mechanics of it work, where do we go? We look to the places where it's breaking down. From the extremes (like aphasias and impairments) to minor things (like statistically frequent speech errors and hesitations) - we find the places where language doesn't quite work to figure out how it should work.

So in the context of Revelation, how do we figure out what real "reality" looks like? I think lots of times we get to look to the "seams of reality". Where does "reality" break down? Where are the places that what seems to be true just doesn't quite work anymore? I think, like language, we get to peak through those tearing seams to see how things really work because it's in those places that Christ and His true reality are bursting through.

As for Revelation 2, my Savior's words: "You have forgotten your first love," hit me just as hard as they have been hitting me for the past few months. I can hear the sorrow in His voice so clearly. "I miss you. Let's hang out - like old times."

At the end of last summer, I found myself wondering what on earth had happened to me. Why was I so amazingly disenchanted and discouraged? The answer came so clearly from that verse - I'd forgotten my first love. And I missed Him.

One thing from Darrell that I found especially encouraging on that note was this quote from Earl Palmer:

The irony of this latter condition of the 'Ephesus syndrome' is that the Christian becomes totally preoccupied, fascinated with themes and goals which would never have won him or her in the first place to have joined the church.

The encouragement is that all I need to do is open my eyes! I can see the people around me that He is pursuing so faithfully, those that are so close to the point of finally choosing Him, and discover what it is that's drawing them in. It's like when everyone in the family is starting to get over the excitement of Christmas because Santa's not magic anymore and we're a little too weary from the day-to-day to get really excited. But what happens when another little cousin comes along? All of a sudden, everyone becomes ecstatic about Christmas again. First it's just for the sake of the kid, but pretty soon, we're enjoying it more deeply of our own right. What a blessing that He provides the little shot in the arm we need by showing reminding of the innocence with which we used to view those same things.

He is coming!

Who knew what we were getting into. This book study has rocked me so far!

I was talking with Megan tonight about how this summer I was often reminded how the evil one wants us to forget our experiences and what we learn about the Lord. Keep this statement in mind as you read the next few paragraphs.

The other night I experienced a very neat time of worship where I was almost paralyzed as I sang Glory to God,- lets just say I was saying it in my sleep and it woke me up, but I didn't want to move or to let the moment pass (think of waking up in the middle of an amazing dream!) The coolest part of this "dream" was that I remembered it and was so excited to share and that it was so vivid. This was after reading through Ch. 1 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ a few times and trying to best picture in my minds eye what John was seeing, and what He was showing. VERY COOL!

While I was at a movie tonight there was a preview for a really weird military movie that from the very beginning I recognized that it was going to be scary just by the music and noise they were playing- those who know me know I don't like ANY scary movie. I turned to Megan and said "this looks demonic" and excused myself from the theater for a moment... A bizarre physical reaction to something I saw and DID NOT LIKE. When I came back meg and cassidy asked if I was okay and I said that I, "Felt attacked but am okay, God reminded me of how big He is." Basically called out the evil one and laughed because God is SO much bigger!

All this description to repeat that the evil one wants to rob us of the experiences with God. Evil wants us to stub our little toe and have it hurt like you just broke it on an open dresser drawer, but God says be "aware of that drawer, see it, then walk around, We've got work to do."

Throughout this study watch out for the drawers that are ajar and be careful not to stub your toes. The evil one wants to rob us of our experiences and of what we learn. God says Be aware, recognize and see that I am bigger! Let's be honest, we are reading His Word, why wouldn't the evil one want to stop that or distract us!

In the Preface Johnson tells us to be thinking as we read the Word about 2 questions:

"1. What leaps out at me? 2. What puzzles me?" I am so goofy I made a bookmark that had those 2 questions on it to keep me focused during reading, call it the teacher in me?

The imagery leaps out to me in John's descriptions of what He Saw- I also appreciated that Johnson pointed this out in the first chapter of his book. Vs. 12-16 This image must have been so vivid, so colorful, hurting the eyes with how sharp and clear it was, undeniable, unmistakable, raw.

Pg. 30- "Everything John sees and hears is bracketed by this great fact: Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, is coming. Not 'will come' but 'is coming'. the process is happening at this very moment. Jesus Christ is not sitting on the throne passively anticipating some future date when he gets up and moves toward us. He is moving even now. He is coming." ---- Whammied to the maxX!

"1 John 2:8- the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining!"

Feeling attacked?!?!?!?!?!? remember this, by recognizing it the True light is already shining!

He is coming. A arche Jesus, Ω telos Jesus , 22:20

I have a lot to learn...

I'll be honest. I've never read Revelation completely through before. I've read bits and pieces, and always wanted to read it all the way through, but I never did. Biola doesn't offer a class on Revelation (or I just never took it... or forgot about that part in the New Testament class...). I think I was always a little bit intimidated by this book because there's so much meaning behind everything in the book and I didn't know what it all meant. So needless to say I was glad to have a book that could finally help me out!

As I've been reading the book and Revelation 1 every day, I couldn't really understand much of it, I think until Cass and Jenn and I talked about it in our Bible study the other night. Hearing what other people have to say about this book, and in talking to Andy too, has helped so much. So be talking to each other about it too, not just blogging! That's my opinion. There was a lot from chapter 2 of the book that stuck out to me:

p. 35- (referring to apocalyptic literature) "First, it seeks to set the present moment in light of the unseen realities of the future: "He is coming." "Jesus is gonna win." Second, and more importantly, it seeks to set the present moment in light of the unseen realities of the present." "Things are not as they seem."

p. 41- "I want to stress this point: John is not describing some kind of inner mystical experience. He heard a voice as clear and resounding as a trumpet. The voice was behind him."

p. 42- "I know what is happening in and among you. I know your hard work. I know your struggles. I know your fears. I know your pain. I know your emptiness. The risen and living Jesus lives and moves among his churches! He is moving among us right now.

p. 44- "Head and hair... white like wool, like snow." The words declare the agelessness of Jesus Christ. He was there before the beginning; he will be there after the end. He is here in the middle. He has been around to see it all..."

"The words also declare the purity of Jesus Christ, the sinlessness of Jesus Christ. He is perfectly clean, altogether holy."

p. 45- "John is declaring that Jesus Christ is not only pure; he is purifying... The eyes of the glorified Lord not only look at us... they also look through us... Jesus can look right through all my facades- and see all the junk that is ruining my life and burn it away.

p. 46- "When the living Jesus speaks he comes right up to us. He gets real close."

On page 47 I liked the little diagram that talks about the verbal portrait of what John saw. I'd never seen that before- "The first impression is forgiveness; the last, blessing. Two and six are "the organs of relationship," eyes and mouth. Three and five are the parts of the body that express "capability," feet and right hand. All pointing to the voice at the center. It is what Jesus says that finally makes the difference."

I also loved on page 41, to back up a little, how Darrell talks about John sitting on the rocks and having all those mental pictures of Jesus. It seemed so real to me, I pictured myself sitting on those rocks thinking about those things that Jesus did- the book came alive for me like I had never thought of before. I just thought it was so cool! And I love the verse that shows how powerful God is- "Who then is this that even wind and waves obey?"

I feel like we're all starting out on a big adventure, and adventure through Revelation and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us over the next 20 weeks. "Jesus is gonna win."

I just really like this whole blogging thing

I just wanted to express how much I love reading all the different insights you all have:) I thoroughly enjoy it!
Cass

A response

BUH. Ok, so I just tried to post this as a response to Emily's previous post, but apparently it's too long so here it is instead.

Em, thank you for these questions and for sharing them with us. John was writing to an audience that had an extensive knowledge of the Old Testament and for that reason, they would have a greater understanding of what he means and would be able to glean a greater depth of rich information from the text. I, however, am no where near that level of understanding- my Old Testament knowledge is a surface level understanding in most cases and maybe waist deep at best. Yet, there are so many questions I don’t think to ask and miss out on exploring their answers. Here’s my thought process that you prompted with these questions, so at the very least, thank you for encouraging me to dig further up and further in to the text in order to fully experience how intense, rich, vivid, poetic, and elegant it is and maybe there will be something in here that speaks to you. Bear with me though because not much of this is new… in fact it’s basically a repetition of what Darrel has said, Stef just wrote in her post, and stuff you have acknowledged, but here it is anyways.


Why does John greet Jesus the way he does? Something about the text told his audience that without a doubt John had found himself in the presence of his risen Lord and savior. Was it the title “son of man”? Like you said, we see it for the first time in Daniel: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man…” (7:13). Later we find it in Mark as Jesus predicts His death: “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law…”(8:31) and then perhaps my favorite yet is in Mark 14:62: “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” My study bible tells me that ‘Son of Man’ is Jesus’ most common title for himself and is used 81 times (exclusively by Jesus) in the Gospels. I don’t know what the Greek vs the Hebrew is between these different titles and I don’t know why my bible capitalizes ‘Son of Man’ in both the Mark verses and your Daniel verse and not the Daniel verse in my NIV or the Revelation verse in either version. Google or some linguist friend might be able to shed some light on this, but for now, I have no clue. For now that is what I know about the ‘Son of Man’ reference, and maybe that wasn’t enough for John’s audience to initially recognize Jesus either because he continues in his description of the man before him. Jesus is said to be wearing ‘a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest’ which is a description of the attire of a priest or judge such as the priestly garments of Aaron in Exodus which are to signify “dignity and honor” (28:2) and be clothing that are “sacred garments… so they may serve me as priests” (28:4). To me this screams to reference that the man before us is a high priest, in fact, the high priest- Jesus- such as we see in Hebrews: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess”(4:14). And then John continues his description of the one who is ‘like a son of man’ by saying that “His head and hair were white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire” and so I find myself going back again to Daniel 7:
“As I looked, ‘thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days (God) took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair on his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him…’” (7:9-10a).
It’s not presumptuous or blasphemous for the man standing before John to be likened to God only because the man standing before John is God.

John's portrayal of the man goes on and I really like the continued references that point to Jesus, especially the last one of the paragraph “his face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance”… I love pictures of our Lord that involve light. From Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai with a glow about his face, to Paul/Saul’s meeting of the Lord on the road to Demascus: “About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice…” (Acts 26:13-14). But like you said, if these are images that would point the Jewish eye/mind back to the Messiah whom John knew to be Jesus, now what?

We have a direct look at someone who did life and ministry with JESUS and this is the posture that he finds himself in? He doesn’t run up and hug him or attempt to start a conversation or ask him any questions (although I’m sure he had plenty), but he “fell at (Jesus’) feet as though dead”. It doesn’t say he recognized Jesus explicitly, but maybe this is his way of expressing that recognition. So many times throughout the bible (including the passage above from Acts), those who meet Jesus and come before him find themselves at his feet, immobile, needing desperately to be comforted by Jesus as John is by the words “Do not be afraid”. To me, Jesus is saying “Hi John, don’t be afraid, you know who I am- I am all of these things…”. So John’s response, though not one appropriate as a greeting for an old friend, is an appropriate sign of recognition for someone who has realized the return of their savior, and Jesus gives him comfort as would the most reliable, constant, and loving of friends.

Reminded of the Greatness of our Lord

In reading through Revelation this morning, I was lead to some amazing scripture that will hopefully encourage you.

1) In Verse 1:13 of Revelation the words "like a son of man" are in quotation marks in my bible and is referenced to have come from another piece of scripture. Like the curious person that I am, I flipped through the bible to the verse referenced. This verse is Daniel 7:13.

In this part of Daniel, he is having a dream/vision of things to come. Much like John is having on Patmos. Daniel writes:

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

In which I reply...AMEN!

In reading this I was brought into a much broader view of the greatness of our Lord. Remembering that in fact he is with the Father, that he has been given all the authority, glory and sovereign power, that all people will worship him, and that his ruling will never pass away, and his kingdom will continue forever and ever. My Lord is all powerful, everlasting, and worthy of praise! This has reminded me of who we serve....and oh, how great he is!

2) I was also lead to Matt. 16:17-33, in which Christ is revealing to his disciples that he will leave them for a little while and then return. Towards the end Christ says:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Oh, how true this is...our Lord has overcome the world. And how much more aware we are of this as we read through revelation. We have been given this book Revelation to remind us of his power and his victory over the world. May this be an encouragement to us as we go through the hardships and troubles of life...that we have Christ who has overcome the world and has been given such reach authority and power!

3),"His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters." Rev.1:14-15

Lastly, I have been reminded that the Christ described to us in John's writing is not a past description or something written in a story...but in fact it is who Christ is TODAY. He is a God of amazing power and might. He is overwhelmingly beautiful. He has blazing eyes that can due as fire does, and purify the things he sees. He has bronze feet that are firm, everlasting, and steadfast. He has a voice like rushing water...powerful, pure, and giving of life. This is not just the Christ that John saw years ago, this is exactly who Christ is now. The Christ that pierced your own heart, that speaks to you each day, that provides and directs and loves so abundantly.

In an effort to also quote Narnia when I can: It is like Lucy who first discovers that Aslan is a great lion and states, "Then he isn't safe?".
Mr. Beaver replies, "Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

As we are reminded of the full greatness of the Lord and his power...and perhaps how unsafe he may seem. May we also cling fast to the truth that he is so very good!

Blessings my dear friends!

Reality is at the Source

Cassie's use of Narnia got me juiced on this topic: further up and further in, because that's when we began to see true reality. And how wonderful it is that God had this planned for us all along. I can imagine being in this place because of these two things (one of which is Tangled, but I will try my best to not spoil the plot):

From Cassie's post/Narnia:

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed, and then he cried:

"I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come further up, come further in!"

And from the movie "Tangled":

In this movie, the daughter, Rapunzel, gets snatched from the night as a baby. She is taken from her real home (Kingdom, parents, peace...etc), and put into a position of slavery with a mean-old-woman. Perhaps the worst part is that Rapunzel has no idea that she is in bondage for most of the movie. But there is more. Something is going on here. And as Darrell says (and Jesus shows), things are not as they seem. Echoes around her are telling her there is much more to reality.

Here is why: every year on her birthday, lanterns light the sky (they happen to be sent from her parents who want her to come home, but intriguingly enough, they do not go out to find her and force her home). Although, she does not know what these lanterns mean, she feels them beckon her to find the source: to go further up and further in. There is something real about the source of these lights, unlike anything else around her. Similar to CS Lewis' "Last Battle", you would have to think that it's one of those things that you cannot explain, but can only be seen and heard, but mostly seen. Eventually, Rapunzel does escape to go see these lights and eventually travels up and in to the "source". It was a captivating image of what is happening and what will come.

These "lights in the sky" are not the source, but point to the source, which is reality. That God is paving a way home for us causes my heart to melt unlike anything else. My eyes water at the beauty of each story where someone is lost but is found and finally returns to their real home, ie the prodigal sons. (and there is NO surprise that there are tons of these stories/images outside of scripture since our search for satisfaction in God and a home with Him is wired into us (whether or not we recognize the echoes of the source and our bondage/lostness/need)! No wonder we see God when we read/watch almost any story that contains a normal plot which has: a sense of reality, a fall, a battle/climax, a renewed situation)

"I belong here" is what ARE saying as the moment approaces. Imagine that! "I belong here". Where? With God! We belong WITH God! My Jesus, my savior is lighting the way home for me. At the end of the road is his loving embrace, his eyes of compassion. Home. That's what's ahead: further up and further in.

These Phil Wickham lyrics sum it up nicely:

I hear Your voice and I catch my breath
'Well done my child, enter in and rest'
Tears of joy roll down my cheek
It's beautiful beyond my wildest dreams

"...His Face was like the Sun Shinning in All it's Brilliance"

I have been praying in anticipation for the start of this study with all of you. Praying for the peace in strength to listen to what God will reveal as well as the courage to bring it into my daily life. Since Monday I have been struggling a bit with my heart being truly ready to start this study. I have wanted to be ready to dive in, but my heart was not on the same page yet.

As I was driving last night I experienced a BAZINGA moment from God setting my heart on fire for this study. I turned the corner on my way to high school group and was met by the most stunning sunset I have ever witnessed. I will admit, for a short moment my body went frozen, I was struck by God's splendor and power and sheer beauty. I witnessed the smoky clouds roll over the silhouette of Catalina Island and transform into a burning light exploding into blinding yellows and oranges. I couldn't look away. And I thought to myself, this might be a small hint of what John felt in the vision he had.

"...His face was like the sun shinning in all its brilliance." (v. 16)

As I reflect this morning and continue to think about the moment last night when I was met by this awesome sunset and I start to picture John's response...

"When I saw him, I fell to the floor at his feet as though dead." (v. 17)

Yes! He fell to the floor! John's physical body could not respond to the sight and had no means of handling itself, so in desperation, it fell to the ground! This simple yet infinitely complex beauty of this sunset, yet by no means in equal comparison to what John witnessed, gave me a small incite to the inherit human response to the natural beauty that lies within our creator.

I pray God continues to fill each one of our lives with moments like this when our human bodies have no other response to the glory of God but to fall to the ground as though dead.

Okay, so...

There are a couple things I'm kinda hung up on from Revelation 1.

v.1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John"

If this is the revelation of Jesus by Jesus and about Jesus, why is it also something God gave Jesus? I've always thought of Revelation as something that Jesus showed John about himself... and I think it is, right?... so why the phrase "God gave Him [Jesus]"? My study Bible doesn't offer any helpful insight on the matter... can anyone help clear that up?

v.13-18 As John encounters Jesus, why doesn't he recognize Him as such? It's been driving me crazy all week and I even read further into Discipleship (D on the E, if you will) than I was planning to today because I'm tired of always walking away like, "What the heck, Jesus. You don't have to be so sneaky! Just tell your friend John that it's You!"

First of all, there is no capitalization on "son of man" like there is all throughout my version of the gospels. I cross-referenced Daniel 7 and even in that context it is capitalized. In fact, because of the lack of capitalization, I spent the first day of the reading thinking maybe I'd always misunderstood the passage and that this isn't Jesus at all, but just another angel. (That thinking quickly proved wrong when all the pronouns in v.14-18 are capitalized and when the red letters appear in v. 17-18). My next thought was that perhaps John didn't recognize Jesus in all of his glory. But this, too, seems strange. I thought that was part of the unity of Jesus' complete divinity and complete humanity, that he retained his recognizable human form even after his resurrection and ascension? Even in describing his hands and feet, there is no reference to those familiar scars that he is quick to show Thomas (Jn. 20:27)

Darrell offers cool insight into the significance of John's description in v.13-18, but doesn't really address my question either. He refers to John recognizing Jesus, but I don't know, that recognition doesn't seem to be something I'm okay with just "assuming" took place. And Jesus' name is still never mentioned. There is no statement by John about how "It really freaks ya out the first time... but then I realized it was Jesus" or even a re-write to v. 17 "When I saw Him, I fell at [Jesus'] feet like a dead man." The name "Jesus" doesn't appear at all in Rev. 1 except in those first couple verses. I understand that all the OT symbolism, the references to Daniel 7, his robe, the sash, etc. would point the Jewish eye/mind back to the Messiah whom John knew to be Jesus... but it just seems like there should be some more intimate familiarity between Jesus and the disciple whom he loved after "doing life together" for a solid three years, y'know?

Yes? No? Clarification? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Speechless

As I have been sitting and meditating on Revelation 1, I cannot help but just be speechless about the man that I love. Just thinking about what revelation means, why this book was even written makes me excited for the now and not yet seen idea. This chapter makes me eager for Christ to return, I mean, can you imagine seeing Christ in all His glory, to a degree I cannot even fathom, it astounds me, it takes my breath away. When I think about revelation, I think of an unveiling, a pulling back of a curtain to see who God really is. (Bear with this image that was on my heart...who knows if it will make sense to you:)

From the moment Christ was born, he was unique, he was sought after as the Son of God, yet human. As a child, he was more hidden, historically because he was wanted dead by Herod so Mary and Joseph protected him...but His identity was visible yet invisible to those who would not open their hearts to see. And then came Jesus, kind of revealing and opening up the curtain when he was living here on this Earth, doing miracles and speaking truth in the name of the Father to glorify God to further the kingdom. Jesus pulled open the curtain and offered himself for all to see and to receive. He was humbly the man behind the curtain seeking to honor His father. Jesus then goes and dies on the cross...and I just can't help but remember one of my favorite parts of the resurrection when Jesus died on the cross and the curtain was torn into two (Luke 23:44-49) symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God an myself (and you) so that I could have a personal relationship with God through Christ! The curtain, the unveiling, the revelation was that I could approach God now directly! And then I read Revelation 1, I see John reporting as a messenger to tear down the final curtain in a sense, the invisible one, the spiritual one, the curtain that will allow for all suffering and pain to stop occurring, the curtain that will allow Satan to be defeated once and for all (despite the fact that we already know that he has lost!) It is the revelation of seeing who God really is! It is breathtaking getting a glimpse of Him, knowing that he has conquered sin, Satan, death, and hell because he reigns triumphantly and victoriously over all!

"Grace and peace to you from WHO IS, and WHO WAS, and WHO IS TO COME..." (vs 4).

"Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (vs 18)

"I am the Alpha and the Omega...who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (vs 8)

"[I am] the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kinds of the earth." (vs 5)

I love seeing who Christ is, who he was. From the beginning he spoke "I am, that I am" (Exodus 3:14) and then I quickly flipped to Colossians 1:15-18 to soak in even more the supremacy of Christ and then to 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 where I just began praying for a spirit of revelation, so that I may know Christ better (Ephesians 1:17).

I just run out of words and can only smile as I read this chapter over and over. Man how He he loves us, I love verse 17 where it says that when John saw him, he fell at his feet as though dead...that is my only response sometimes to Christ and I cannot wait till I meet him face to face with all His brilliance.

I liked Pearl's realization, that this is real life...this world is real and it is full of Jesus, we are already reigning victorious through Christ...but I cannot wait for the "new world" if you may...I am and have been re-reading Chronicles of Narnia and went back to the Last Battle to kinda wrap up a little of my child like excitement and yet the depth and complexity behind these quotes by C.S. Lewis (brilliant man that he is) :)

It is as hard to explain how this sunlit land was different from the old Narnia as it would be to tell you how the fruits of that country taste. Perhaps you will get some idea of it if you think like this. You may have been in a room in which there was a window that looked out on a lovely bay of the sea or a green valley that wound away among mountains. And in the wall of that room opposite to the window there may have been a looking-glass. And as you turned away from the window you suddenly caught sight of that sea or that valley, all over again, in the looking glass. And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in one sense just the same as the real ones: yet at the same time there were somehow different -- deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a story you have never heard but very much want to know.
The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. I can't describe it any better than that: if ever you get there you will know what I mean."And yet they're not like," said Lucy. "They're different. They have more colours on them and they look further away than I remembered and they're more... more... oh, I don't know..."
"More like the real thing," said the Lord Digory softly.
It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed, and then he cried:

"I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come further up, come further in!"

So my prayer is that I go farther up and farther in, that I can sit and learn in my mind and my heart more about the glory of God. That I can see the Glorious One, that I can desire and seek after Him and see myself as "beloved"...For all find what they truly seek.'" The depth of Christ love, the jealously for my heart continues to amaze me, and Christ's character is incredible!

Man, Christ is good! AMEN.

~Cass

Takes My Breath Away

These lyrics to an old hymn of the faith are the adoration of my heart today -"Immortal, Invisible God only wise,IN LIGHT INACCESSIBLE, hid from our eyes,Most Blessed, Most Glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, Victorious, Thy great Name we praise. When old John looked at the Being he turned to see, the face that was like the sun, shining in it's strength (dunamis - power, especially inherent power), I wonder if his mind flashed for a millisecond, before he hit the deck (he falls at His feet as a dead man), to a time on a mountain when Jesus was transfigured before him, Peter and James. "And while He was praying," Luke
writes, "the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming". (literally, flashing like lightning) Matthew and Mark describe His face shone like the sun, garments white as light and exceedingly white.  This great Being of Light, the great I AM, came in the "fullness of time" to planet Earth to take back His creation and rescue, redeem, and save forevermore those who would look to THE LIGHT and believe and receive. We just celebrated Christmas, the babe in the manger, the lowly babe whose journey was to a cross, and to a grave and to the sky - how we lift His Name on high. We are hard wired for worship so....... Let us worship and bow down Let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker.

Rory - 1/5/11

D on the E

"Everything in the Revelation can be found in the previous sixty-five books of the Bible... The truth of the gospel is already complete, revealed in Jesus Christ. There is nothing new to say on the subject. But there is a new way to say it...

[John] takes truth that has been eroded to platitude (the quality or state of being flat, dull, or trite - thank you, dictionary.com) by endless usage and sets it in motion before us in an animated impassioned dance of ideas."

Yes. Please.

It is this type of D on the E that I crave.

Being a Living Revelation

Like most of you, I have been reading through Revelation 1 everyday this week and I also read a little bit of the book hear and there. In approaching Revelation I have realized how much I have lacked in focusing on Jesus' return. Revelation is a book simply all about Christ and all about his glorious return, however, I don't live my life always in that view. I've obviously learned about Christ and his return, but If I'm completely honest...I don't often live entirely focused on it. I can't help but think how I would live my life differently if I always lived in light of it? How would my focus and actions change?

Through reading Revelation these past few days I'm beginning to think that I've been missing out on the great joy, focus, and closeness I could develop if I maintained this perspective. I guess my desire in going through this book with you all, is to be a 'living Revelation'. That is declaring with my whole life what this book 'Revelation' is declaring; Christ and his glorious return. That is living and being entirely all about Christ, and staying centered on the joy and expectation of his return. Wow...just thinking about it is exciting. How could I bring each day closer to being all about Christ...and living in expectation for his return? I bet I'd live my life differently...with more purpose and direction. I'd bet we'd all live our lives differently.

I pray that Christ would become more in our lives, and we would look more closely and excitedly for his return. I pray that we would become living revelations...declaring who He is, what he has done, and awaiting his glorious return.

Grace and Peace to you all

Stef Woodruff

1/2 Ultimate allegiance.

"I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus." 1:9

I asked this question this morning - how in the world can you put tribulation, the kingdom, patient endurance, and in Jesus all in the description. What's going on here?

I would not in my natural mindset think that way of the one whose voice is like the roar of many waters. He's too perfect to let tribulation touch Him. But obviously something I see is wrong!

I relate with Pearl - I have struggled with letting my senses obtain what they need to about God. I have a hard time spiriting out. I can read my bible, journal, whatever and not feel a thing sometimes! But I do it anyways in hope of something. But how casually John says "I was in spirit on the Lord's day when..." boggles my mind. It just says it as if nothing, when for me would be a bog deal. How do I conjoin the two? How do I let Christ aid the unaided senses and Johnson puts it.

Well I think the question is how do I partner IN CHRIST (back to my original question). How do I partner in tribulation, in the kingdom, and in patient endurance in Christ all at once. How do I partner alongside John?

I guess today I will discover that. Although I have had dry bible times the one thing that is always consistent is that God puts life into it throughout the day. And although today was far from dry, life will still be added I'm sure. So let's see what partnering with this so to say "mess" brings about!

Trevor

Kaleidoscope Whirlwind

Guys, I am so stoked to be embarking on this journey. I really just want to share with you all the joy that I've had in anticipating this study, and how clear God is making it that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

During the fall, I was having a lot of trouble just settling with God. I couldn't really get myself to dive into a book to study or even into a time of prayer, because I was just restless. Not to say that I haven't had any solid time with the Lord in the past three months - because I've still had some incredible moments with Him, and I've still spent a lot of time in the Word - but it's just felt kind of "off" somehow. BUT in the midst of all that, Revelation has been coming up again and again, ever since the summer, and it's been speaking to me powerfully. So as I start this study, I'm encouraged to find that I finally feel very committed. I can't wait to dive in and to dive in deep. He has brought Revelation back to me so often and in such meaningful ways that I can't possibly deny that this is what He desires for me right now.

Plus, I'm really excited that I'm now also studying Revelation with a girl that I mentor (she felt particularly called to read through it as well, which is another cool affirmation), so I get to combine all the awesome insight from her, from Darrell, from you all, AND from the LORD.

And another thing I'm excited about is how much the LORD has been revealing Himself to me using imagery in everyday life. Over the summer, I went through a period where I had started to internalize everything, and I felt a profound lack of joy because I wasn't experiencing anything anymore. Reid encouraged me to start intentionally taking in the blessings of my God with all five senses, and to look for the depth there beyond just the sensory perception. And now, in light of Revelation, I've started that practice again, and it's so exciting to rediscover the depth that's there - just "behind the veil" - when I stop to just see, smell, listen, touch, taste.

I keep thinking about Jenna's boat name from this past summer - "This is Real Life." I never gave that name much thought until the very last weekend, when it finally hit me that this is real life! This incredible place where I rest in the support and love of nine of my dearest friends, serving and pouring myself out, while watching Him move powerfully in the lives of students, is real life. It's reality as it's intended to be - or at least a pretty good taste of it. And now Revelation drives home that message even more so. This crazy kaleidoscope image that John paints for us is reality, because in reality the Son is eternally glorified with the Father and He is already reigning supremely.

Guys, heaven is busting out at the seams! The kingdom is here!

Week 1/Day 1 (1/1) - First thoughts Rev. 1 & Preface

Getting into this and reading Rev. Chapter 1 for the first time this week, I asked one question in particular - what is the point of Chapter 1? From what I can tell at first it is just a "minor" introduction to the rest of the book which will be more important... but that would be ignorant right? So I ask - what is the importance of these first words be John and Christ himself?

A theme - Christ is the first and the last, the alpha and omega, who is and was and is to come - what we are about to read it timeless - forever lasted and lasting - always applicable - always living.

Revelation? At human thought - an "ah ha!" moment (at least what comes to my imagination) - but an moment like that of Christ? and not just "a" moment but "THE" moment?

With that - this is a pretty big deal. Chapter 1 reveals to us the importance of what we're getting into. The liveliness The Revelation has alone for us as it did for John.

"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near." 1:3

Johnson in the preface describes the Revelations as a discipleship to Christ - kind of like a Discipleship handbook. Chapter one of Rev. is the agreement to terms of this handbook - the are you ready? It asks us, "are you ready to be taken apart by the life you're going to jump into?" "Are you ready to fall at Christ's feet 'as though dead'?" I see so much boldness in this chapter.

Two things I love that Johnson says about Revelations are

1) we get to see how Christ is now (The timeless factor!)

2) we witness the "living on the edge" (The Godliness "ah ha" moment of all heaven and earth colliding)

What craziness.

We can see a present and future Christ? I think we're so used to the gospels - John, Luke, Matthew - of what Jesus did.... but what He's DOING? Wow. We better prepare ourselves.

And a catalyst of earth and heaven. How surreal that is. It reminds me of the Lord's prayer. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This gives so much depth. Two opposing forces like the same sides of a magnet striking together. Even in human science that creates a cool mysterious energy that causes many to strive discovery - so we should respond even more. We should jump head first into seeing what God, Christ, the Living Lord has to show us on this explosive ridiculous edge.

And this is day 1....

- Trevor

Day 1 of week 1!

Hey everyone! Here we go. Revelation chapter 1. This week I plan on reading everyday (mon-fri) the chapter(s) in the bible and make my way through the book during the week. So this week I will read chapter 1 of the revelation everyday. Next week chapter 2 everyday and so on. This will keep my mind in it everyday and give me fresh perspective to blog on daily if I so desire. I encourage you all to do the same. Just from this mornings reading of rev. 1 I am struck by John's posture we find him in. In prison on this island and in his mid 80's in age and the guy is worshipping! Vs 10. "I was in the spirit on the Lords day". The guy despite his circumstances chooses to worship and the next thing you know he hears the Lord speak to him. No matter what are circumstances might be today or this week may we lift up holy hands and worship the lamb on the throne. The one who is Worthy!

Reid