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Lent 11 Monday March 1, 2021: Intention

Rev. Dr. Don Vanzant Leave a comment

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that
he had already been there a long time,
he said to him, “Do you want to be healed? John 5:6 (ESV)

A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!   John 10:10 (TPT)

Silence is solitude in action.  Henry Nouwen

The story of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda is rather odd.  The man had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  After that long I think I would be used to being an invalid.  Maybe not.  We don’t know until it is us.  But the question Jesus asked him seems a bit insulting: “Do you want to be healed?”  “Well of course I do.  I am here by the pool aren’t I.  I am brought here every day but I am incapable of getting into the water when it stirs.” (That is the story.  Read it for yourself (John 5:2-9).  “Then get up and walk!”  And the man was healed and he picked up his bed and walked.

We can/must decide to live in the Kingdom as Jesus did if we are to engage in spiritual formation.  It is intentional.  It does not happen by accident or by passive belief.  Faith has action, and for our Vision to become real and impact our whole person there must be intention.  We make a decision to follow Christ in kingdom living in the same way we would decide to fix dinner.  If we just have wishes and words for dinner we will go hungry, and if we have only verbal approval without action in our journey with Jesus toward life in Him, we will starve knowing where there is food, but without the actions to make it ours.  Pick up your bed and walk!

Perhaps the hardest thing for a Christian to come to grips with is the level of unbelief in our life.  Self-understanding is brutal work, without which there is no formation and growth.  Silence in solitude is humbling and often opens doors of self-knowledge.  In silence, void of distractions and the habit of running away, we are left with ourselves.  We try to sew some fig leaves together to cover our reality when the still small voice of God comes searching for us.  He calls amidst the cacophony of competing voices in our minds.  Even that raises the question: What is it that I am trying to hide?  Why do I not want to make the decision to assert the effort to become closer to Jesus?  Of what or whom am I afraid?  Pick up the bed and walk!

The writer of Hebrews uses an athlete as an illustration of the life in Christ, of running in such a way as to win the race.

As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.  Hebrews 12:1 (TPT)  

It is so common to hear the passing words of Christians concerning their desire to learn and grow, and not see the fruit from their spoken intentions.  I must admit that at every age — 40, 50, 60 — I was disappointed that I was not more mature in Christ.  I had a vision of a life in which I was more intentional about my relationship with Jesus.  But like many in ministry, I became so addicted to the praise of people and worked so hard at doing a good job as pastor and living up to the image, that I forsook my intentions.  Intentions must produce decisions to be fruitful.  In bare self-knowledge we often realize that I really didn’t want what I said I wanted.  I knew what I should want, and needed to want, but either my intentions were false, or my decisions did not match my intentions.  The result is the same.  Thirty-eight years of lying by the pool and others beat me in.  Pick up your bed and walk.

God reveals to us a Vision of life in the Kingdom,
and we are intentional and decisive about following
His way to reach that vision.

Today in our silence we might ask Jesus to speak to us about our intentions and our decisions. One step at a time.  Listen and obey.

Lent 10 Saturday Feb. 27, 2021 Vision #2

Rev. Dr. Don Vanzant 2 Comments

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence . . . .  2 Peter 1:3–4 (ESV)

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received!  2 Peter 1:3 (The Message)

Salvation in Christ is easy for us.  Christ has done it all.  Growing to be like Him is not easy.  It takes our effort.    Anonymous

Vision of living in the Kingdom

Few of us have been exposed to this full vision of following Jesus.  It is very difficult to lead and be in the spotlight and stay in this vision of living “in Christ.”  I am sorry, that is negative but it is true.  Those who follow Jesus in the Kingdom, with their ALL, often are quiet and humble and avoid the microphone.  I am not saying that all who speak to groups or lead are not following, just that those roles seem to carry a set of traps and toxins that are difficult to escape.  Those who are called to that leadership need God’s grace and power, and need the sometimes hidden gifts and prayers of those not preaching from the mountains of this world.   It is not an easy walk.

If a vision of living in Christ and following Him is necessary for our spiritual (trans)formation, then exactly how will that develop?  I have some ideas, although I know that some of you have some ideas I have missed, and I invite you to share them with us.

Study.  First, there is no substitute for reading or listening to God’s Word.  I suggest reading through a gospel and paying special attention to how Jesus did life.  How did Jesus order his day?  With whom did he hang?  Are they celebrities and up-and-comers?  When attacked, how did his handle it?  When pressed by the challenges of the multitudes, what did he do?  What were his attitudes?  What emotions did he express?  Try to notice things like when he crossed over to the other side of the lake (Gentile country) and engaged people who were considered the contraband of the rest of Israel.  What can I learn from his mission and how would my life look if I was willing and able to live like Him?  This takes time and effort.  There is no substitute.  Sorry to be so blunt, but if we say we want to follow Jesus and do not take in his Word, we really do not want to follow.  Own it and change it.

Revelation. God reveals Himself a variety of ways, the first and primary is through His Word, but also by revealing His nature through others — followers and otherwise: teachers, books, images, dreams, memories that come into focus with new meaning, song, worship, and creation — nature.  Remember where we started nine days ago with “the unforced rhythms of grace.” Matt. 11:29  God desires to reveal Himself to us and will use a variety of communication if we are awake.  This is a process of forming a vision of life in the Kingdom, and one revelation, one scripture, or one word that breaks into our day is just that.  One. There will be many.

The deep cry within.  The vision arises from a deep longing, perhaps a spiritual memory of God’s delight and personal attention when we were made.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.  I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Psalm 139:13–15 (The Message)

There is a forgotten way that results in a desire and a hope to be fully me and fully God’s.  That is the Vision.  We were made in the image of God to govern the zoological creation as God rules over all things.  This rule is one as God Himself would rule or care.  For us to be “in Christ” — the Vision — is to be transformed into those who act in love as God does.  That should keep us praying and waiting for a while.   Listen to your innermost desire for more.  The seed is within you; let it grow.  Give it water and nourishment with His Word, time alone, and a little faith.

Enjoy your time with the Creator, the Savior, and the One who empowers.

Lent 8 Thursday Feb. 25, 2021

Rev. Dr. Don Vanzant 1 Comment

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.   Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

 You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.  Matthew 5:3 (The Message)

 “You don’t realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.  ”Timothy Keller 

The word “poor” has many meanings today.  We would probably think of those living under the poverty level who must budget and watch their spending in order to get by.  The Greek word translated here ( πτωχός, ptochos) is a bit more specific: a beggar, a destitute person, a person living off the mercy of others.  We might not actually know anyone like that in our American lives.  It is the most common word in the New Testament translated as “poor.”  Jesus uses it thirty-one times and He engaged in ministry to the destitute and beggars and even on occasion held them up as examples as those to be imitated (the widow who gave everything to God in Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4).

Blessed are the destitute and beggars in spirit . . . .

I have been reading through the Bible with some wonderful men in Christ-centered addiction recovery.  Many are there as their choice rather than going to prison.  Some have served time in prison and carry those scars both inward and outward.  It is the best days of my week for some of them are so hungry and thirsty for God.  They know desperate.  One man told me his story and how many times he had gone through rehab and relapsed.  He is a very brave man.  He said something that stopped me cold.  He said, “If this doesn’t work, if Jesus isn’t real, I’m dead.”  I had no response, but his reality has not left me.  I trust that he has been close to death and knows the darkness of what might await him if his chains are not broken.

As I read through the gospels, I encounter person after person who was in the same desperate condition:

  • The paralytic whose friends cut a hole in the roof and lowered him to Jesus.
  • The disciples as the boat was sinking.
  • The naked man with a legion of unclean spirits living in the tombs.
  • The synagogue official whose daughter was dying.
  • Who woman with the issue of blood for twelve years.
  • The Gentile woman whose daughter had a demon.
  • The man and son who had a spirit that sent him into seizures.
  • The thief beside Jesus on the cross was desperate.
  • It goes on and on.  The multitudes were not curious.  They were desperate.

Can we add our story in here?  Our desperation may not be for physical healing.   It may be that we are desperate for love, for understanding, for purpose, or for REST.  Actually my friend in recovery spoke for all of us.  If Jesus is not real, WE ARE DEAD!

Not everyone was desperate who encountered Jesus.   The Rich Young Ruler (Matt. 19:16-22; Mark 10:17–30; Luke 18:18–30) came to him in his competence and his achievements and left sad and discouraged.  Jesus let him leave.  That was not a judgment against the man by Jesus, but a recognition of the lack of need of the man.  His real need of life was being masked by his wealth and success.  Perhaps this gives us a different perspective of the situation or stress in which we find ourselves today.  There may be purpose in our failure, our grief, our stress, or our desperation.

Are we ready to become beggars?  If you have made it this far in this journey of silence and solitude, I would imagine that you are at least thinking about it.  There are some miles to go before we get to Jerusalem, so expect God to do more as you present yourself to Him.  Desperate beggars . . . that is our goal.

What will be your word today as you come to God as a beggar?

Lent 6 Tuesday Feb. 23, 2021

Rev. Dr. Don Vanzant 1 Comment

  “The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the gospel.” 
Mark 1:15 (ESV)

“Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here.
Change your life and believe the Message.”
 Mark 1:15 (The Message)

It is only the present moment alone
that holds the possibility
of coming into the presence
of God.   Ann Voskamp

The present moment is all that matters.
J.P. de Caussade

Are you awake?

I don’t just mean physically awake but awake to this moment   Are you aware and in the present, or while you read this are you thinking about work to be done, messages to be sent, bills to be paid, what time it is, etc?   The practice of silence and solitude wake us up to the NOW.   That is why after you have practiced solitude for a while you will lose track of time.  It will happen if you persist.  The lack of physical activity and distractions will open up the now of each moment, if that is what you want.

One of the Greek words in the New Testament that is translated as time is kairos.   It means a “fateful and decisive point” and is not directly connected to the measurement of time or chronos.   We are driven by chronos, by the alarms and schedules that often dictate our actions, and that is one reason we miss the present kairos, the decisive point.   We become so numb and tired following the chronos that we are asleep to the decisive moments with God.   To recognize the decisive points of life is within our power as a spiritual being, but if we are looking at the clock we miss the moment.   So we take a “time out” and go into a quiet place where we can be awake. 

Now the ultimate goal is to stay awake at all times.   That is what Jesus taught when he said to “abide” in Him (John 15:1-17). Remain in Him. Live in Him. Walk with Him. That is what Paul meant when he spoke at Athens to the philosophers and said, “in him we live, move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Remember that God does not command anything that is not possible with His power. Every command is a promise! We are awake! He is life! That has often been called “practicing the presence of God” and you might have heard about the French monk, Brother Lawrence, who said he was in the presence of Jesus while washing dishes and doing his kitchen chores.   He said, “My set times for prayer are exactly like the rest of the day to me.   (The rest of his day was working in the kitchen.)  They are but a continuation of the same exercise of being in God’s presence.”                         

awake

Without “Oughts” and “Ifs”

It is hard to live in the present.  The past and the future keep harassing us.  The past with guilt, the future with worries.   So many things have happened in our lives about which we feel uneasy, regretful, angry, confused, or, at least, ambivalent.   And all these feelings are often colored by guilt.  Guilt that says: “You ought to have done something other than what you did; you ought to have said something other than what you said.”  These “oughts” keep us feeling guilty about the past and prevent us from being fully present to the moment.

Worse, however, than our guilt are our worries.  Our worries fill our lives with “What ifs”: “What if I lose my job, what if my father dies, what if there is not enough money. what if the economy goes down, what if a war breaks out?”  These many “ifs” can so fill our mind that we become blind to the flowers in the garden and the smiling children on the streets, or deaf to the grateful voice of a friend. 

The real enemies of our life are the “oughts” and the “ifs.”  They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future.  But real life take s place in the here and now.  God is a God of the present.  God is always in the moment, be that moment hard or easy, joyful or painful.   When Jesus spoke about God, he always spoke about God as being where and when we are.   “When you see me, you see God.  When hear me you hear God.”  God is not someone who was or will be, but the One who is, and who is for me in the present moment.  That’s why Jesus came to wipe away the burden of the past and the worries for the future.  He wants us to discover God right where we are, here and now.   

Henry Nouwen, Here and Now

Now is where God lives.   The present moment is what matters.   Just reading those words changes my awareness of myself and the spiritual world in which I live. To be awake to God at all times is a lifetime goal that takes effort. We do not reach that completeness today. It is not a switch that we flip, but a path we follow. We grow in our awareness and it does take time and effort. God does not impose Himself on us; we must seek Him.

Begin your time in solitude and silence.