Wish You were here

Morning Everyone,

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell? I wonder sometimes. Perception, the fall, the hectic-ness of life, our own rebellion egged on by the heart of King I; these things tend to blur our vision. I wonder, in the midst of that blurry vision, how many of us will trade our heroes for ghosts? Will we give up a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
The temptation is always there, at least for me. There are times when I see the things that come from the hand of God, and everything comes from there, and I say this can’t be good, this can’t be working toward my good. I can do better than this. I can plan things better. And it is usually much later on that I realize that my middle name must be Adam because I am acting just like my distance relative. I think I know better. I think I can plan better, and if the opportunity arose, just like Adam, I would jump at the chance to play the lead role in a cage. Think of the adoring fans; think of the fame, the wealth, the prestige etc etc.

I think it was CS Lewis, maybe in his wonderful book the Great Divorce that said something like when we get to the end of the journey the saints will look back and see everything as a bit of heaven. The lost will look back and see nothing but hell. Do you think you can tell?

In the midst of my blurry vision I find myself wishing God was here. Oh don’t get me wrong I know he is here, his providence is all around us. He was here the whole time between the death of Malachi and the birth of Jesus but he didn’t say anything for 400 years, he didn’t make his presence known in any special way. The prophets certainly didn’t speak – there were no prophets for 400 years. Some days, like Randy Newman sings: I think He’s Hiding. I mean why shouldn’t he hide? We’re content to run the show. We’re content with powerlessness and words as long as the cash is flowing and we can still sell people the gospel. I mean we’ve got the bible what do we need God for?

I got a glimpse of just how empty our words are last Sunday night when a couple of young people who have rarely stepped foot into a church before paid us a visit. This sweet, young, smart ninth grader took advantage of our free form discussion and just started asking questions about anything and everything. Maybe our words were good enough but I seriously doubt it.

Her brother is torn between paganism and Christianity but he really has no understanding of what being a Christian is. He doesn’t just want words though, I can tell you that. I was thinking of the passage in Acts chapter 2 this week that says, “and the Lord added daily to the church” and I realized that all they would be able to write about where we’re at is “and the Lord transferred their membership from one church to another, weakly. “ (the spelling is correct).

I really wish God was here. I wish that he would demonstrate his power once again. I have my doubts as to whether it would bring people to the faith but it might help strengthen me for the road ahead.

My wife was talking very adamantly about the need to have hope that people can and will be saved. I believe God can save people but what is he going to save them from? Is he going to put them in the church? Is that like sending them out of the frying pan and into the fire? What is the purpose of being a part of the church that exists in the 21st century? Is it to increase the value of starbucks stock or increase sales of audio and video equipment? Because those things coupled with empty words are what the church is offering these days.

When’s the last time you were delivered from bondage in your life? No better yet, when was the last time you wanted to be delivered from bondage? We like being in bondage, we like having a lead role in a cage, especially if the cage is our life. We are unwilling to give up sin (insert your favorite here) or self in order to pursue righteousness. We deserve to be able to ‘have fun’ every now and then. Life is hard so get off our backs about a little sin.

We love death more than we love life. Or better yet we don’t think God knows what life is. We know what living is and God is mistaken when he calls it death. God is old you know, probably has Alzheimer’s disease by now.

So the church goes on while God is nowhere to be found. Baptisms increased this year, church attendance is up: who needs God? All we need are bad economic times and more advertising.

I long for God to show up. I long for him to tear down the façade of the church, to tear down the façade of me, so that I can walk the path of righteousness in power and authority that is supposed to fill the words we say we hold dear.

But here we are: Running over the same old ground and what have we found?The same old fears?
When is mature love going to start doing some casting out?

I want to live in the land of the dying and see the curse reversed. I want out of the cage.

I want to get back to the war.

Brad