on rebukes.

The first requirement in God's work is a pure, not a powerful spirit.  Those who neglect this, though their work may be done in power, will find it destroyed due to lack of purity.  Though they may truly possess the power of God, yet because their spirit is mixed, they are destroying what they build... 


- Watchman Nee, "The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit."

The topic of powerful and pure spirits can stream into multiple directions - but now we will talk about rebukes and judgments.

I think that before you rebuke someone, you should be willing to fast and pray for that person.  That is to say, fast and pray for a purity of spirit - the purity of your spirit.

You can approach someone with a rebuke and say it in a powerful spirit, but if it is an impure spirit, the person ends up touching the soul of man - your soul - and not solely the Spirit of God.  This is also why it is not fasting and praying in order to find justification for your rebuke.  An unbroken soul, an impure spirit, will approach the Word of God to justify their causes, instead of approaching the Word to find God.  In doing so, we profane His Word.  (May God forgive us for searching His Word to make us look right.)

A simple example: seeing a fellow brother or sister in a gradual reversal - supposedly in their spiritual walk.  And you'd like to break off the dark cloud over his life..
But- how do you truly know it's depression?  Is it really a sense in your spirit, or a sense in your soul?  Is "depression" a word of knowledge, or your personal disagreement with this change in character?

There have been occasions in which we have made assumptions, that turned into judgment, that caused an offense in our hearts - and out of this un-clarified offense, we present a rebuke.  And even if we will never approach them with a rebuke, to even hold an assumption or judgment in our heart - would we still be willing to fast and pray for that person?

Are we willing to fast and pray for our enemies?

It's somewhat of a pride/ego issue.

I think we forget that the verse "pray for those who persecute you" was actually preceded by "love your enemies."

You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemies."  But I tell you: Love your neighbor and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?  Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


- Matthew 5.43-48

Christ did not say this with the primary intention for our persecutors to stop, or for our enemies to become our best friends - but He did it for our own change of heart.  For the sake of forgiveness, the sake of compassion, the sake of love.  To go above and beyond.  To be set apart from the world.

In fasting and praying for purity of spirit, we are praying for compassion.  If you are going to rebuke someone, you had better be willing to provide that person with a safe support to restoration.  Have we not seen it too often?  Quick to rebuke, quick to walk away, quick to be offended, quick to slander.  Where is the compassion?  Where is Jesus in all of this?  And rebuke is necessary - it's said in the Word. But better a rebuke from the wise, than from a fool...

O that we would learn what true rebuke is - that we would rebuke out of a pure heart, not for the sake of pride, not for the sake of friendship, but foremost for the sake of Christ...


God!  Teach us how to love!  Teach me how to love.. I judge and assume too, I am in need of grace too.

As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten.  Therefore, be zealous and repent.


- Revelation 3.19

xo

"A Demand" by Fuco Ueda.  2002.

Currently (finished!) Reading: "The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit," by Watchman Nee

redefining grace

i didn't fall off the planet, i've just started a truck-load of drafts that i never seem to finish writing.  this, for example, was started in April 2010.  cheers.


***


you do the work, you get your wages.
you do the math, you get the answer.
you pay the price, you get the product.


and if you don't do the aforementioned conditions, you don't deserve the results.


fortunately, none of the above are rules.  they are theories, but they're very breakable.


if we're the hard workers, we like the thought of getting what we deserve.  and we grumble about those who enjoy the pleasures they've done nothing to earn.  because it's not fair, right?  why should they be eating the fruit of our labor?  i do all the work, they do none, and we split the reward?  where's HR!  or someone to audit this business!  growl!


in matthew 20:1-16, a landowner hires workers at different times of the day, morning, noon, evening.  they all finish at the same time, i.e, some worked much longer hours than others.  and they all get the same pay.  WHAT.  yeah.  exactly.

But [the landowner] answered one of them, "Friend, I am not being unfair to you.  Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go.  I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave to you.  Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money?  Or are you envious because I am generous?"  So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

- Matthew 20:13-16

"Are you envious because I am generous?"  ouch.
i am no theologian, but i imagine heaven.  and we're all getting that reward of the lovely encounter with Christ, regardless of when we got "saved."  it doesn't seem like the nature of God to say, "person A: you have been a Christian, following all the rules since you were in your mama's belly.  you get to enjoy 100% of heaven!  and person B: you got saved on your deathbed, so you get to enjoy -ehh- maybe 0.01% of heaven."

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. 

- Ephesians 2:6-9

maybe it seems so basic to talk about grace in the likes of salvation, but the reason i do this is because of the true difficulty of grace.  "they haven't said sorry."  "they didn't put as much work into it as i have."  "they haven't treated me right."  "they use and abuse me."  they don't deserve anything!  


my life's honest context: i chose to extend a sacrifice of patient love that left me sore.  "this person treats me like dirt, this person deserves dirt."  yet, each time i'd become resolute in my fair trade organization, God would tell me, "Go back.  Love more."  and i would get the same generic appreciation, if not "less," than others who did nothing but kiss a*.  sorry.  it was so unfair.  it kind of felt like the lottery, and i detest gambling.  it was as if i worked endlessly and gained nothing, and this person did nothing and received bountifully.


written March 23, 2009 (Journey).

We like incentive from God. We like incentive from anybody. We like giving if it involves - receiving. Some of this mentality has been perpetuated by the independence of our age, that has taught us about "sowing and reaping." We learned that we earn what we have worked for, and therefore, work to earn. It's a cycle that has its place, but which we have unfortunately abused and sprinkled with selfishness.

i'm learning to love without incentive, without the hope of an incentive, without false hope.  i'm remembering my Kingdom inheritance and all the unseen and eternal promises which i've never had to work for, but will enjoy forever... i'm learning to love for the sake of love, to give grace for the sake of grace - and never for the sake of reciprocation, which is a premise likely to fail.  i'm learning to give freely, to give willingly, to give joyfully.  and i'm realizing that whatever love i have to offer ought not to be reserved for the ones who already love me, but especially for those who love me the least...
i am learning to re-define grace.

via weheartit

xo



currently listening: the sound of heavy rain
currently reading: The Prophets by Abraham Heschel and Psalm 46

But God...

I realize I have one gargantuan list of drafts to finish writing; on love, on grace, on forgiveness, on the yearning spirit.

But this post could not wait, simply because there is an immediacy of testifying to the goodness of God.

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

- Psalm 62.1-2

I am thankful for the Love of God.  He is unlike the majority of mankind.  In the deepest, darkest hours, He runs to us, not away from us.  Many people speculate the reverse, but really, those assumptions-turned-beliefs often stem from being too proud to receive His love.  And what I mean is, sometimes, when God extends a direction, a command, or even His mercy and grace, we respond with, "No, God, You don't understand... You don't understand what I'm dealing with, how incapable I am... I just can't."  And we recount our past life, our failures, our sins, our inabilities, our issues, our narrow-focused identity.  Basically, we are telling God, "My weakness is stronger than Your strength."  It's really a pride issue.

It was my issue.

Not that I would blatantly confess my refusal of His love, but unintentionally, I would turn down His offers to help me.

Example 1:

God says: "I want you to pursue [this one dream]."
I say: "But God, I need to take care of [these weighty things] first.  Because if I don't, how will I be able to support my life?"
God: "Um... Me."
I say: "But God... You don't understand, I have these bills to pay..."

Example 2:

God says: "You messed up, but I love you anyway."
I say: "But God... I promised I wouldn't do it again.. and... I do it again. and again.  I feel bad, like I'm abusing grace..."
God says: "My grace is sufficient for you."
I say: "But I feel bad."


Pretty much.
It's saying, "My weakness is stronger than Your strength."

It's a pride issue.  What is it in me, though, that makes me think I'm perfectly capable of doing everything on my own terms?  Why do we keep slipping into that?  I suppose mankind has struggled with that since Eden, and debating whether or not "God really said."  But regardless, it should never become a tolerated excuse.  I'm tired of doing everything by myself.  I want to believe that "God really said."

I think about the ever-present verse, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" Phil 4.13.  would then the opposite be true?

Jesus gave them this answer, "I tell you the truth, [even] the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all He does...."

- John 5.19-20

[Jesus said], "...Apart from Me, you can do nothing."

-John 15.5

There you have it.

All that being said, I surrender.  Sure: as much as we live and breathe and accumulate, we'll have multiple and constant points of surrender.  But I'm reminding myself to surrender now.  I'm reminding myself that I can't do it on my own.  I can't do it without God.  I'm reminding myself that I am not in control.  And actually, believing that is completely liberating.

xo


Currently Listening: Jason Upton's message, Satisfied By God.  like 50x in two weeks.