Real Eyes…

re·al·ize (ˈrē(ə)ˌlīz): become fully aware of something.

Much of our time in this current age is spent remembering previous things rather than REALIZING Present things. Or, all too often, if we are engaged in the moment, it is in bondage to the unfolding, temporal, finite path of least resistance, as we move from one distraction to another, avoiding pain and embracing little pleasures.

But the more we let Holy Spirit have His way in the moment, the clearer we see Jesus — and the clearer we see Jesus, the more we fully, gloriously ARE (because the distorted regrets of the past and the phantom fears of the future have no room to exist in that REALity).

And I believe the age to come will be MARVELOUSLY like this. We won’t have to remember Jesus, or remind ourselves of His attributes — instead, we will truly, continuously REALIZE Him — seeing Him in His unfiltered Glory (We Realize with Real Eyes), as we are enabled by and saturated with the brilliant, penetrating, uncreated Light of LOVE.

“But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he IS.” (1 John 3:2-3)

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Heavenview…

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We cannot look at God through the lens of people or our human experience. We must look at people through the lens of God and revelation.  Otherwise, we will always, ultimately re-create Him in our image. I want a Heavenview, not a worldview.

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

Without revelation, your brain will always become your enemy.

Without revelation, your brain will always become your enemy.

What I mean by that is that our natural minds cannot totally understand God and that left to our own devices and natural abilities and insights, our spirituality always becomes merely the traditions and ideas of men, which, ultimately, will always war against the truth and reality of God.  I am not saying that we should ignore our brains or that we should not be thinking people.  But the human mind was never meant to be the center of our reality.  God is.  And even though He gave us our brains (wonderful and amazing and useful as they are), they will never be enough to walk in the fullness of our callings as spiritual beings.

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Ephesians 1:17-18)

“to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;” (Ephesians 3:19)

“lean not on your own understanding;” (Proverbs 3:5)

“No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ — but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:7-10)

A perfect example of this is in Matthew 16, where Peter receives a revelation of who Jesus really is, and Jesus says, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” But just a few moments later, Peter stops relying on revelation and starts using his mind to figure things out, and he is rebuked by Jesus as one who opposes God: “Get behind me, Satan! [ie – opposer] You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

So…spend time with God, getting to know Him. This is ABSOLUTELY important to your eternal destiny. You need Him to tell you stuff — important stuff that you can know no other way than that He reveals it to you:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3-4)

Spend more time in His Word, yes. But also spend time listening for His voice. And as you begin to hear, respond to Him. Because then the real adventure begins — the adventure of the Spirit-led life.

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14-15)

Now’s a pretty good time…

We all have this desire in us (put there by the Holy Spirit) to adventure with God.  To lay down our lives and run to the battle and spend our time and energy making a real, eternal difference in the lives of our fellow humans, for the glory of God — to “go into all the world and make disciples.”

So here’s the deal:  It will never be easier for you to take risks for God and his Kingdom than RIGHT NOW.  This is ESPECIALLY true for single 20-somethings.  You may think that later, somehow, things in your life will be more conducive to serving and adventuring with God.  But the longer you live, the more likely it is that you will invest your heart in the things of this world.  And as you do this, you will feel like you have more and more to lose by running after Jesus.  It will seem like you have fewer and fewer options.

You will NEVER have fewer hindrances (in the natural) to adventuring with the Holy Spirit than RIGHT NOW!!!

So go for it.  When you look back from Eternity, you will be INFINITELY more happy with this choice!

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22-23)

Don’t trade your calling from God for ANYTHING!

Don’t trade your calling from God for ANYTHING!

Don’t allow the vision He has given you to be hijacked by the busy-ness and trivia of the world and the path of least resistance!

Return to your First Love — and to the adventure of Love He has called you to!

Don’t let the Flame go out! Rage, rage, against the dying of the Light!

Understanding Dreams…

As I mentioned in my last post, dreams can come from a variety of sources, and it is extremely important to know what that source is.  And as I also mentioned, the best tool is intimate, extensive knowledge of God and His ways.  And another very important (and often overlooked) tool is a Holy Spirit gift that Paul mentions — the discernment of spirits: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit…to another discerning of spirits…”(1 Cor 12:7,10)

And Paul encouraged people to “earnestly desire” and seek after spiritual gifts.  So…go for it!  “You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:4)”

But dude, even after you’re convinced that it’s a dream from God, you’re not all the way there.  There are actually three steps to successfully receiving revelation from God:

1. Inspiration (actually experiencing the revelation)
2. Interpretation (understanding what the dream actually means)
3. Application (actually responding to the leading of the Spirit concerning the meaning/directive of the dream)

So…#1…inspiration.  OK, you got what you think is a dream from God.  But what does it mean?  Some revelation is meant to be taken literally and some is symbolic (in a sense like parables).

Some dreams are so straight-forward that they interpret themselves.  I remember one time a security guard at a local grocery store told me about a dream he had had recently.  He said, “In my dream, God is calling me to preach the Gospel, but the devil is trying to get me to smoke marijuana all the time instead.”  Then he said, “What do you thing that dream means?!”  (Hahaha!  Sometimes, even when the revelation is simple and straight-forward, we don’t “get it” because we really don’t want to.)

But some dreams involve symbolic elements.  One time, I had this dream:  “I am a business man and I fill out a requisition for a camel.”  That was it.  And when I woke up, I began praying about the meaning of the dream, and this is what the Holy Spirit told me:  “Camels are animals that are able to carry people and goods long distances over arid terrain, not needing much water.  Your business is about to go through a dry season, but don’t lose hope, because I have provided a “camel” (grace from God) and this camel will successfully carry you through the dry season until things start flowing again.”

And of course, the application of the dream is of ultimate importance.  Without an obedient, faithful response, the grace that God intended by giving the revelation is lost.  In the security guard’s case, he needed to stop smoking pot (duh!) and take steps towards becoming a lay or full-time minister.  In my case, I needed to keep my eyes on God’s encouraging promise of provision, even when things got a bit dry, business-wise.  (Which, by His grace, I did.)

So…what has God been saying to you?  Do you believe that God still speaks today?  Have you received dreams from Him?  And if so, what are you doing about it?

A room with a view.

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; “ (Ephesians 1:17-18)

There has never been a time in the history of the human race when we have needed clear vision and understanding like we need them now.  There has never been a time in our history when so many various shades of darkness have been trying to pass themselves so convincingly as Light.

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes , so you can see.” (Revelation 3:18)

This gold is refined in the fire of intimacy.  It comes as we close ourselves off from the world and we press past distraction and sin and boredom and insecurity, and press in to know Him.  It is here, in the Secret Place, that we behold His Glory and are transformed.  And transformation brings clearer vision.  The ability to see farther.  And most importantly, the ability to see details “up close and personal” — to view with eyes of intimacy the one who is “closer than a brother.”

And it is here, in the secret place of intimate passion, that we begin to dance, heart-to-heart, with the Lover of our souls.  And as we gaze into His eyes, He launches out, and we delightedly (and successfully) dance with Him through the mine fields of this often-deadly life, so close to His heart that when He makes a small move, we move with Him.  When He stops, we stop.  We know the small, still whisper of His voice, so close in our ears.  And we walk (dance) into the fullness of or our inheritance, secure in the knowledge of His Presence.

And this side of Heaven, it doesn’t get any better than this.