Circle of Chairs

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

Many years ago, when we were trying everything to help our daughter sort out her emotional turmoil, we went to counseling as a family. I’ll never forget one of the sessions and am quite sure I have never written about it. It was a day of sad revelation but holds no power today because of where she now is in her life. That season was an ‘old address,’ one she hasn’t lived at in a very long time. The counselor put five chairs in a circle and asked all of us except our daughter to have a seat. The counselor proceeded to ask her where she saw herself in that circle. Our daughter walked across the room and sat in chair in the corner of the office. My heart broke for us and for her. I’m not sure whether the reason was that she longed to be away from us, or she felt unworthy to be a part of us. Either way, it was a physical representation of an emotional fragmented separation.

Yesterday when I was walking, I was still thinking about the Holy Spirit residing in us. I was recalling times in past seasons when I spiritually separated myself from the circle of God’s family. I was busy checking the spiritual boxes while living life on my own terms. God gently and patiently lured me from the corner and re-invited me back into the circle. Not one time did the Lord ask me to leave the circle of grace that He had prepared for me. Just like my daughter, I had chosen to live outside of the circle. I’m so thankful that His spirit awakened me years ago although I had quietened Him. I have read many times that God’s spirit is a silent gentleman awaiting our acceptance of His invitation of fellowship. He will not force Himself upon us, but He will continue to watch us, intercede for us, and remind us of the love we will always have in Him.

The circle is always open no matter what our behavior displays and the chairs are innumerable. We can never find ourselves out of the reach of the Spirit and can always return to the center of His love. That is our permanent address! 

A Temple of Power

“Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you!” 1 Co 3:16 (GNT)

 

This verse just might be the most understated truth in all of Christianity!  Why do I say that?  I only have to think back to being a teenager and having to make decisions between right and wrong.  My parents raised the four of us with a deep understanding of their expectations of behavior.  What they modeled to us was their desire for us in living out our lives.  Sometimes when having to make those decisions, I chose the wrong one, fully aware of the consequences.  However, I didn’t get caught every time because my parents weren’t with me.  There is no way I would have made those bad choices if they were by my side.

 

We have the remarkable indwelling of God’s Spirit within our heart who fully communicates with us as to His desired nature of our behavior and attitudes.  It’s so easy to gloss over the incredible truth that the same power that raised a murdered Man into a resurrected Savior is housed in us!  That means we continually have that power to access in all situations.  John Bevere, author of The Holy Spirit, made a powerful statement.  He wrote, ‘Every place you go, every conversation you have, and every activity you participate in, you take God’s Spirit with you’ p. 74.

 

Think about that…It is both encouraging and sobering!  I wrote down some questions to ponder when examining my own life.  Do the places I go honor God’s Spirit?  Do the conversations I have exemplify His character?  Do the activities I participate in quell His presence?  We are a culture who loves to take inventory of everything…how others made us feel…who has done us wrong…but are we taking inventory of our character, conduct, and conversation?  Are we dragging God’s Spirit into our desires or are we following God into His?  Intentionality is one of the hallmarks of discipline in any area of our lives.  When we carve out time daily for God’s Word, our worship, and seeking His presence through prayer our temples become more aligned with the image of Christ. 

Great Things

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

 

It’s been 15 years since God put in me the desire to begin Bible studies each and every morning.  This verse is one of the very first verses that I remember reading.  It is neither a long verse nor is it a hard verse to memorize.  But what it is for me is a greatly treasured verse.  It explodes with answers to any of life’s questions when we do one simple thing…call to God.  This verse promises attentiveness to our petitions, assuring us that He has heard every word.  This verse promises revelation for the things we don’t even know to question.  This verse invites fellowship showing that God’s heart is to experience shared discovery of His greatest plan and blessings for our lives.  

 

There is a beautiful song that I love that says, ‘Your Spirit is a gentleman, standing at my hidden door within, where you wait for me to let you in so You can set me free.’ The Change in Me, Casting Crowns.  The Spirit will never force Himself upon us, but desires an intimate relationship between us. There are so many verses that invite us to call upon the Lord.  Jesus fully understood and embraced this verse of calling to His Father in expectation of God answering Him.  He even gave us words for opening the door and inviting Him in, ‘Our Father who is in Heaven…’

 

With God’s assurance of responding to us, we must be able to recognize His voice when He does answer.  I can recognize Bruce’s voice in a crowd because we have had constant companionship and communion with each other for 37 years.  I can recognize my children’s voices in a crowd because my ears have become attuned to their voice from their birth. Realizing God’s voice comes to us through different ways.  We learn His voice through the Scriptures that He has given us.  We recognize His voice by watching His movement around us in our circumstances.  We discern His voice in our prayer time through the Spirit’s involvement and power.  In our worship time on Sunday’s the manifestation of God’s voice is in our midst.  

 

‘The key to knowing God’s voice is not a formula.  It is not a method you can follow.  Knowing God’s voice comes from an intimate love relationship with God…As God speaks and you respond, you will come to the point where you recognize His voice more and more clearly…Relationship is the key to knowing and hearing God’s voice.’ Experiencing God, Henry T. Blackaby & Claude V. King, p. 67.

Our Treasured Spirit

 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” Ephesians 4:30.

As I continue to try to understand the Holy Spirit who lives in each of us as believers, I find myself confused but determined to enter into a deeper awareness and relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit is a Person and has His own personality just like us. Yesterday, determined to carry my pursuit of the Holy Spirit into the rest of my day I grabbed an iced coffee, sat outside a bakery facing the sun and began to speak to Him. I closed my eyes and with the sun on my face heard myself say, ‘You know every single thing about me, and yet I know very little about you. Give me one word which describes your nature.’ After a minute or two the word ‘peace’ came into my mind. Suddenly, I was filled with an amazing peace and awareness of a breeze on my face and the songs of birds singing. I was so thankful that He wanted me to know something of His nature, but He also put the emotions with it.

This morning my study turns to how we can grieve or ‘sadden’ the Holy Spirit. Just like we have emotions, according to Scripture so does He. The NLT translation of Ephesians 4:29-32 states, ‘Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow (grief) to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live…Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words…Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.’ My nature is to always pursue harmony and peace in my relationships. This has been my mantra since I was a little girl. It saddens me to see opposition and divisiveness between people and it will actually push me away. Other times, I am saddened by the way I have hurt a person whom I love. Scripture is clear that anything that takes us away from peace and unity will sadden the Spirit. I think He must be sensitive…I think He must be tenderhearted…I wonder if He distances Himself when saddened just like I do?

Our conversation, conduct, and character matter, and deeply affects the Spirit of God. We were given the Holy Spirit as a blessing and a relationship that we should always pursue. We must see Him as a friend and a constant companion who longs to fellowship with us. A friend who has feelings…ideas…desires. He wants to be heard, experienced, and loved just like God and Jesus. ‘The Holy Spirit has made our hearts His dwelling place. Everywhere we go, He goes; that is an intimate association. Therefore, He is deeply affected by what we allow into our lives.’ The Holy Spirit, John Bevere, p. 61.

Our interaction with the Spirit is to be treasured, protected, and honored always.

Even a Sparrow

“Even the sparrow has found a home…near Your altars, O LORD…my King, and my God.” Psalm 84:3

I remember reading in my grandmother’s journal that after Granddaddy died, she decided to sell her home and move closer to my parents. The house sold relatively quickly and her joy turned to worry. She was in her 80’s and I’m sure the prospect of emptying a house, getting rid of things, finding a new home, and settling in was monumental for her. No doubt millions of details swirled inside her head and became overwhelming. Mother and Daddy were guiding her every step of the way but it was God who provided the words of comfort in the new season she found herself. She was crying out to God one evening through her exhaustion of mind, depletion of emotions, and spirit of fear. The Lord planted this verse in the fertile depths of her heart and soul. She wrote that the fear subsided, the peace enveloped, and the joy returned.

Isn’t it miraculously remarkable that we have a Father who is constantly mindful of our needs? Isn’t it comforting that He has an answer for every single dilemma before we even experience it? There is not one thing that He withholds from us that we need. Some things He stores in Heaven like our departed loved ones, while other blessings are shared on earth. On our calendars we see the exact date that the seasons change, but it is God who tells our seasons when the change. We live through seasons of celebration like a new marriage, a new career, or a new baby. Other times our seasons change into times of deep grief and sadness such as a death, a divorce, or another life-changing experience. Within each change of season, God remains the same. If He has a place for one little sparrow to nestle down in, He has a nest prepared for your circumstances and healing. If He orchestrates the change of time, He will assign a new season up ahead. If He clothed the flowers in beautiful splendor, He is preparing a garment of joy for you and for me.

There is a beautiful song by Lauren Daigle which speaks to these things. There is nothing we will experience today most likely greater than the truth of this gorgeous message. You will blessed by listening.

https://youtu.be/LQPWbSfJIz0

Our Communicator Extradinaire

 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Co 13:14

 

As I continue my study of the Holy Spirit, I realize how much I do not know about Him.  Scripture exemplifies through interaction upon interaction that those amazing people who went before us in the Bible intimately knew and heard from the Spirit on a regular basis.  They didn’t move ahead of His instruction.  They chose time with Him to help understand the will of God and the mind of Christ.  But the thing that most hit me this morning was that the Spirit must obviously have a personality of His own.  Why would God uniquely make us and yet make the Godhead possess the same personality traits?  God specifically speaks of Himself as a Father, Jesus as a Son, and the Spirit as the communicator.  Each description triggers different emotions in my heart.  In the Greek translation, the word ‘communion’ above means fellowship, companionship, intimacy, and sharing together.  

 

If my desire is to get to know someone, I must spend time with them to fully understand their likes, dislikes, beliefs, and what makes them who they are.  With ongoing fellowship and constant communication there would be no intimacy.  God has placed purpose within us, with a unique personality in the Spirit to accomplish His will for our lives.  Through His love He longs for us to experience the equal fullness of the Spirit.  It would be like living as a family of 3 but never talking to one of the family members.  Never getting to know that personality would mean a fracture in the family.  

 

The Spirit among other things prepares us for the things that lay ahead.  He comforts us in our sadness, and strengthens us in our weakness.  Through our companionship with Him, we experience joy, peace, and satisfaction because we know we never walk alone.  He lives in us, through us, and in protection of us.  I am well aware that this book is showing me that there is a greater closeness that I have not entered into with the Spirit.  But He has all the time in the world with me and you since He also is omnipresent.  All we have to do is carve out the time to build intimacy with the best communicator and friend around. 

 

A Welcome Friend

“I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth.” John 14:16-17 The Message

I remember when I was a teenager my mother would tell me that whoever I chose to hang out with was who I would become. As much as I hate to admit it, she was right! When we see that our children are developing new friendships with people we don’t know, it can be a little unsettling. There were certainly some teenagers with who my children began hanging out that made me very uncomfortable. I would see poor choices being made by my children when they became friends with those who made poor choices. Also, I am sure that there were instances when my children were influential in their friends’ poor choices. Wouldn’t it be great as a parent if we could choose the ultimate and perfect best friend for them?

That is what God the Father did for us when He not only chose the Holy Spirit to walk with us 24/7, but He made a dwelling place within us. The Holy Spirit is a real person who desires fellowship with us just like God and Jesus. He is an equal one-third of the Godhead…He is perfect…He is whole…He is a personality and not just a function of God. He is as worthy of our time and worship as God the Father and Christ the Son. James 4:5 tells us, ‘The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love.’ (AMP). Despite our best efforts, we can lead our friends astray just like they can lead us astray. But the Spirit is the Spirit of Truth unable to lie to us…unable to guide us into trouble…unwilling to compromise anything that will harm us.

‘You’re free to be yourself with the Spirit. He knows you inside and out. When you can’t seem to find yourself, He can tell you exactly where you are. He abides in you to strengthen, encourage, and guide. You cannot weary Him or wear out your welcome. He is your best friend.’ The Holy Spirit, John Bevere, p. 35. 

Greenhouse of Grace

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning together…And not only the creation, but we ourselves…groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:22-23

I’ve always believed that God made the nature of teenagers so frustrating and exasperating that parents would not be heartbroken when they went off to college. Some might say there was even an eagerness to move them into the dorms. The season that leads up to the ‘bird leaving the nest’ many times is laced with things that cause us to groan and sigh! This groaning makes the separation a little easier. Oh sure, I missed them when they left but the inference is that there were certainly things I didn't miss. That is how I express my feelings about leaving this world one day.

Being on earth and navigating through tough and troubling times can certainly place ‘groans and sighs’ in our hearts as we await our guaranteed perfect home of Heaven. In Charles Spurgeon's eloquent expression of the Christian life, he wrote about Christians needing the greenhouse of grace to remain alive in this world. He went on to describe us as a tropical bird that is made for the warm and sultry climate of Heaven, but is released in the wintry skies of Earth instead. I imagine that the greenhouse of grace has walls of protection, but windows where we can see the dangerous elements surrounding us. It is filled with the warm breath of God protecting us from the cold. Within the greenhouse the warmth of the Light surrounds us and illuminates our path to guide us. He waters us with His mercy and grace when the soil of our heart becomes dry and hollow. Many Christians are living in these dry and hollow times in their present circumstances. But we have an everlasting hope and promise of things to come. New beginnings …fresh revelations…healed hearts.

‘For this fulfillment the believing heart is panting, groaning, and sighing. A Christian’s experience is like a rainbow, made up of drops of the griefs of Earth and the beams of the happiness of Heaven. He is sometimes in the light and sometimes in the dark…We groan within ourselves. Our sighs are sacred things…We keep our longings to our Lord, and to our Lord alone.’ We Shall See God, Randy Alcorn, p. 15 

His Ripest Fruit

“Let not your hearts be troubled…In my Father’s house are many rooms…If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you…I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”  John 14:1-4

 

I don’t remember a time when I have witnessed so many deaths as I have witnessed over the past 12 months.  It seems one person has barely been committed back to the Lord before another is laid to rest.  No wonder I was so blessed to receive a new book from a precious woman called We Shall See God by Randy Alcorn.  He has studied the topic of Heaven for over 25 years and this book is a response to sermons on Heaven from Charles Spurgeon back in the 1800’s.  

 

Yesterday was the morning after heartbreak for a family my daughter knows very well.  A young man was killed in a motorcycle accident on Mother’s Day before his life had barely evolved.  Our hearts tell us that this loss is senseless…tragic…life-altering…and it is!  But with a heavy heart I read something this morning that gave me a higher view of things to come.  It allowed me to lean into the sound of God walking through creation and tending to His family.  For a moment, I was able to see our loved ones longed for and esteemed by a Father who had been separated long enough from those children.  Take a moment and picture your loved one at the center of God’s love when their purpose on earth has been fulfilled.

 

‘The Master is gathering the ripest of his fruit, and well does he deserve them.  His own dear hand is putting his apples of gold into his baskets of silver, and as we see that it is the Lord, we are bewildered no longer…We understand why the dearest and best are going.  We see in whose hand is held the magnet which attracts them to the skies.  One by one they must depart from this lowland country to dwell above, in the palace of the King, for Jesus is drawing them to himself…Our dear babies go home because ‘he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom (Isaiah 40:11).  And our ripe saints go home because the Beloved comes into his garden to gather lilies.  These words of our Lord Jesus explain the continual home-going… What can be more right than that children should go home to their father?  From him they came…and should this not be the goal of their being, that they should at last dwell in his presence?’ p. 9

 

Death will never make sense on this side of Heaven, but for a moment reflecting on Spurgeon’s words bring a little Heaven down to earth.

 

Out of the Fog

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am…” John 17:24

In 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters off of Catalina Island, California determined to swim to the mainland. She already enjoyed the accomplishment of making history being the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. Her mother followed in a small boat beside her as she swam towards the mainland regardless of the foggy and chilly day. When Florence became too exhausted, both physically and emotionally, she begged her mother to pull her out of the water. “It wasn’t until she was on board that she discovered the shore was less than half a mile away. At a news conference the next day, she said, ‘All I could see was the fog…I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.’” We Shall See God, Randy Alcorn, p. 5

How many times have we felt that same way? Exhausted from the ‘swim’ from which we have been laboring…Deep ‘spiritual breaststrokes’ that seem to get us nowhere…Begging to be lifted out of the ‘water’ of our circumstances. We have all been there whether it is our job, our marriage, our health, our friends, or even our grief. ‘When you face discouragement, difficulty, or fatigue, or when you feel surrounded by the fog of uncertain circumstances, are you thinking, ‘If only I could see the shore, I could make it?’ p. 5

Our verse this morning, gently reminds us that where ever we are, we are with Jesus. He not only is with us in the swim, but as the verse says He longs to be with us. He sees the shoreline when we are blinded by our emotions. He knows the day our pain shall be our past, and our present shall be when we step on the shores of Heaven one day. But until then, Jesus is in every second of every moment as we navigate Home. It is so important to keep our eyes on the shores of Heaven even when the fog of earth rolls in. ‘Death is a gateway to full union with Christ and never-ending joy.’ p. 6