Sons of God, do you fear your strength?
I was once walking in suburban Montreal. It was a rather stormy day and dark clouds loomed over the neat rows of white duplexes with their little lawns of green grass. Suddenly, a flash of light streaked across the sky like a jet and then a very low thump, a black puff of smoke formed encircling the streak of light I had just seen. I had no idea what it was. To my horror, at one end of the street a giant figure, seemingly burning in fire, with only an enormous elongated rectangle for a head, along with even longer legs and arms appear. I can not see any of it's features, only it is burning. At the other end of the street another appears. And then they both see me. The thought occurs to me to try to say something in Jesus' name, to repel them or something of the sort. But when they begin to run towards me, fear rises and I began to run away! I cower into a house and the last thing I remembered is seeing their giant figures stooping low, looking inside the houses on that street.
It was a dream. And in the days that followed I began searching the internet for all sort of aliens, demons, Nephilim... I thought those figures were something to do with spiritual forces of evil. It so happened that I was reading the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge (it's an awesome book by the way and I'll write a review about it soon). In it, it describes a dream that men have... and to interpret one of these dreams, John recounts how he led a man in prayer to let Jesus reveal the meaning of his dream. I was inspired. I put down the book and did the same right there.
I was back on the street. I stepped out of the house and the giants, as if they had smelled me or perhaps heard my steps, suddenly turn, stand up straight and rush at me - but this time I am resolved to confront them and stand my ground, as if they were an enemy. They come and they stand in front of me and I ask them... who are you? Their answer shocked me.
I was blown away. Why in the world would I fear my strength and courage (see Joshua 1:9)? Is it possible I fear being who I was truly meant to be? Is it possible that we are stuck in a mindset that is constantly limiting our potential and making us think we have to settle for quiet, unimportant, mediocre lives when God has called to explore, build and conquer the Kingdom?
We live in days of emasculation. Strength and vigor are frowned upon in the the church... better to rest, fold your hands, and tend to the coffee table, they say while you think of doctrines and intellectual problems all wrapped up in cozy, churchy words. I'm exaggerating but it is no secret that "churchianity" has feminized the Christian mindset and is not letting men find out who they truly are (but for more on that, please refer to Wild at Heart!)
But what I say now is relevant to sons and daughters alike. The kingdom is among us but it takes it's heroes to uncover it. It takes the children of God to rise and fight for it. Jesus said it Himself... "the violent take it by force."
Your promised land awaits, but if you linger on the other side of the Jordan river, in the spiritual desert - a land characterized by a mindset of doubt and unbelief - what will happen? Nothing but the same and more of the same.
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of light, joy, restoration, healing, peace, grace, love and righteousness... in short it is life and life abundant! This kingdom isn't for personal comfort - the path to it may even be full of dangers and trials - but it is for your victory and even, no especially, for the world's redemption. Too many believers have resigned themselves on both fronts - they have neither aspirations beyond the humdrum of daily life, nor a desire to richly impact the world for Christ and His Kingdom, letting the gospel becoming manifest.
Why do we do this? Why are we meandering in deserts of mediocrity when Jesus invites to a life where we share and enjoy His anointing, His mission, His desires?! Because we are afraid... we fear the boundaries of our comfort zone, rather, what is outside of them. We fear being honest, we fear praying for healing, we fear opening our mouths with blessing or telling people what we really think. Are we sleep walking through life? It is time we awake to our new nature in Christ, to who we really are, to whom we were made to be.
Jesus - you know who I am more than I. You know who You made me to be, Your son, Your daughter. I am who I am by Your grace, I am Yours, now of Your own flesh and blood, Your family. And I want to build Your kingdom, it is our Kingdom and I want in, I want to build it with You. Here I am Lord, use me, fill me, empower me. Your Kingdom come... Your Kingdom is here... it is in me. Now, Lord, let this become my reality. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
It was a dream. And in the days that followed I began searching the internet for all sort of aliens, demons, Nephilim... I thought those figures were something to do with spiritual forces of evil. It so happened that I was reading the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge (it's an awesome book by the way and I'll write a review about it soon). In it, it describes a dream that men have... and to interpret one of these dreams, John recounts how he led a man in prayer to let Jesus reveal the meaning of his dream. I was inspired. I put down the book and did the same right there.
I was back on the street. I stepped out of the house and the giants, as if they had smelled me or perhaps heard my steps, suddenly turn, stand up straight and rush at me - but this time I am resolved to confront them and stand my ground, as if they were an enemy. They come and they stand in front of me and I ask them... who are you? Their answer shocked me.
"We are your strength and your courage? Why do you fear us?"
I was blown away. Why in the world would I fear my strength and courage (see Joshua 1:9)? Is it possible I fear being who I was truly meant to be? Is it possible that we are stuck in a mindset that is constantly limiting our potential and making us think we have to settle for quiet, unimportant, mediocre lives when God has called to explore, build and conquer the Kingdom?
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Matt 11:12
We live in days of emasculation. Strength and vigor are frowned upon in the the church... better to rest, fold your hands, and tend to the coffee table, they say while you think of doctrines and intellectual problems all wrapped up in cozy, churchy words. I'm exaggerating but it is no secret that "churchianity" has feminized the Christian mindset and is not letting men find out who they truly are (but for more on that, please refer to Wild at Heart!)
But what I say now is relevant to sons and daughters alike. The kingdom is among us but it takes it's heroes to uncover it. It takes the children of God to rise and fight for it. Jesus said it Himself... "the violent take it by force."
Your promised land awaits, but if you linger on the other side of the Jordan river, in the spiritual desert - a land characterized by a mindset of doubt and unbelief - what will happen? Nothing but the same and more of the same.
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of light, joy, restoration, healing, peace, grace, love and righteousness... in short it is life and life abundant! This kingdom isn't for personal comfort - the path to it may even be full of dangers and trials - but it is for your victory and even, no especially, for the world's redemption. Too many believers have resigned themselves on both fronts - they have neither aspirations beyond the humdrum of daily life, nor a desire to richly impact the world for Christ and His Kingdom, letting the gospel becoming manifest.
Why do we do this? Why are we meandering in deserts of mediocrity when Jesus invites to a life where we share and enjoy His anointing, His mission, His desires?! Because we are afraid... we fear the boundaries of our comfort zone, rather, what is outside of them. We fear being honest, we fear praying for healing, we fear opening our mouths with blessing or telling people what we really think. Are we sleep walking through life? It is time we awake to our new nature in Christ, to who we really are, to whom we were made to be.
Jesus - you know who I am more than I. You know who You made me to be, Your son, Your daughter. I am who I am by Your grace, I am Yours, now of Your own flesh and blood, Your family. And I want to build Your kingdom, it is our Kingdom and I want in, I want to build it with You. Here I am Lord, use me, fill me, empower me. Your Kingdom come... Your Kingdom is here... it is in me. Now, Lord, let this become my reality. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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