not just communications

I have pondered long this word that my Lord shared with me perhaps two weeks ago now

are we writers? communicators? story tellers? messengers?

May I remember to surrender my pen, to His hand,

I ask of you

as a chosen one

a beloved one

consecrated, set apart

by Me and for Me

Let the words you share

be Mine

the stories told

My story

not mere imaginings

or retelling

not just creative art

No, I have a higher call

upon your life

and your work

it is not only “communications”

it is prophecy

Tell My people

That is why you are here

This is what I have gifted you for

I Will provide the words

your part is to share them

Spread My glory

surrendering ordinary

I have a history

(as do we all, I believe)

of feeling different

of standing out, being called out

for one reason

or another

too fat

too smart

too bold

even for a time too American 

here in Canada

and my wounds would cry out

can't I just be ordinary

fade out

blend in

but there is a higher call

to be separated

set apart by Him

I am His

and He asks me

day by day

sometimes moment 

by moment

will you surrender ordinary

for the sake of My glory?

Day 11 of 31 Days of Surrender










and linking with Lisa-Jo where we're writing about ordinary

Together in one place

Last Sunday I was blessed to be asked to share what God has placed on my heart, and to lead in the Prayer for the World that is at the core of Global Day of Prayer each Pentecost Sunday.  Here, then, though longer than my usual blog post, are my sermon notes:

I am always awed at the timing of Global Day of Prayer. It is not by accident that the organizers chose Pentecost Sunday. It is as if every participant, from all corners of the world are gathered together in upper room, waiting, as Jesus commanded:

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5 NKJV

As I have been preparing to speak, The Lord has been revealing some similarities between 2 Chronicles 7 in the Old Testament and Acts 2 in the New Testament. We step into 2 Chronicles to find that Solomon has completed the building of the temple and holds a special time of offerings and prayer to consecrate it to the Lord.  We read:

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. 2 Chronicles 7:1-2 NIV

It is after this, that we find the key scripture for many who dedicate themselves to the Lord and to prayer:

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 NIV

So here we find the people of God, gathered together, in one place, the new temple, offering prayers and sacrifices, and God comes in fire, His glory fills the temple ---  Suddenly, the account of what happened in New Testament times doesn’t seem so strange.  We already read Acts 1:4-5 where Jesus commanded the disciples to wait for the Father’s promise, and they did as He asked.  To begin the next chapter we read:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
 Acts 2:1-4 NIV

So, here again, the people of God were united, devoting themselves to prayer and God showed up in power. He didn’t send His Holy Spirit just to tickle them, just to create a big show, just to tantalize emotions. He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within His own so they would be empowered to change the world around them. He asks no less from us today.

There’s something key about being united as one, devoted not simply as individuals, but as a body of believers.  There were no denominations in the days of the early church. There were simply people who believed in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, those willing to dedicate themselves to living as He had taught.

I don’t know what God has in store for His Church (big C) and our churches – perhaps we are to return to the practices of the early church in the days following Pentecost. We are told: 

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47 NIV

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved – isn’t that the desire of our hearts? And if it isn’t – shouldn’t it be?

Somehow, we have made things much more complicated than I believe our Lord intended. We build doctrines and theologies and look for those who will agree exactly with what we perceive as truth. Jesus asks us to believe that He came from the Father, become one with Him and each other, and share that truth with others.

Jesus prayed for us. Before He gave up His life He spoke the words to His Father:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:20-23 NIV

It’s time for us to return to the simplicity of what Jesus asked. Its time for us to become the body He was broken for. Its time for us to become the bride He longs to return for. Jesus commanded us:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35 NIV

United in mind and spirit, may the world look upon us and know that we belong to Him so that more and more and more will come to a saving knowledge of His love and grace.

Set apart - chosen and peculiar

Today I share some clips from the word I spoke Sunday morning:

For the past couple of years the Holy Spirit has been whispering words to my spirit… set apart, consecration, sold out!

What does it mean to be set apart?

The Lord says:

And you shall be holy to Me; for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. Leviticus 20:26 NKJV

Paul says It is God Himself  Who sets us apart:

Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be. And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]. 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24 Amplified

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

A chosen people, a people belonging to God.  He chose us!

One could teach an entire series on people in the bible who were set apart for God’s purposes. They accomplished much for the Kingdom of God. But not without cost. Would you want to be like :

Joseph?  He was sold into slavery by his brothers, spent years in prison for crimes he did not commit.

Or Daniel? Think of him face to face with that hungry lion.

How about John the Baptist? He lived on locusts and honey, wandered about in the desert preparing the way for the Lord and then, lost his head

There’s always Paul, our greatest apostle. He was imprisoned again and again and finally executed

They paid the price so God would be glorified. I believe they knew a secret we seem to often forget – it wasn’t about them

So what’s the point of the Christian life? Is it to avoid sin, go to church, and steer clear of worldliness? Those things might well be part of a well-lived Christian life, says R.C. Sproul, Jr., but they aren’t the real point. What we’re really called to do, he argues, is live to glorify Christ in every respect, leading lives peculiar and distinct from the world around us: He said:

…in the Old and New Testaments, believers are called to live distinctly from the people of the world. The result of such collective living produces an illumination that cannot go unnoticed by the darkness of our culture. This obvious distinction that is supposed to come from the teaching of Scripture, is to manifest itself in every area of the believers life.

An illumination that cannot go unnoticed by the darkness of our culture? Wow!

Do you remember what it was like to walk in darkness? I do, and I ache for those who are still there. I want the light to be so evident in my life that others are drawn, not to me, but to that light.

Where ever you are in your relationship with Jesus, at some point you’re going to have to come out of the closet. You will have to let the world know where you stand and to Whom you belong.

Think for a moment. Be honest with yourself before God. Do people have to ask you if you’re a Christian?

There is a song by the group Olivewood Bridge called Case Closed that asks:

If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence for there to be a conviction?

I know that at the end of the day, I would want to hear the judge say “Case closed. This one’s a believer.”