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.
Steve, thank you for sharing your insight on the pain of Christ writing his bride of her abandonment. It strikes me in several ways, but hits me most profoundly at an angle of Christ's undying affecting for our hearts. Once again, He is battling with us and for us. This battle ends in Him surrendering himself again and again. And the beauty and celebration that goes on when we surrender ourselves to each other blows my mind. Obviously, this is no 'balanced' relationship, but Christ's overwhelming affection for us breath taking and fills my heart with incessant joy.
ReplyDeleteReally appreciate your input here. Your closing sentence about this is no "balanced" relationship struck me right back. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt's like I'm trying to stick a small houseboat cup under a gushing waterfall in an attempt to capture or understand "His Goodness on steroids. "... So good Steve!
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