Hello! What a glorious time to be alive in Jesus. God is preparing a banquet. Come, eat, drink and feast. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8 NIV)
Lord, grant us spiritual eyes to see the kingdom’s banquet!
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In my early years, I was pastored to come out from the world and be separate. It was a major theme of our church. Being a new Christian, immature and inexperienced, I separated myself by adopting an outward form of righteousness.
For example, while employed at a large regional bank, I let coworkers know I was different by setting a Bible on my desk. There’s nothing wrong with that, except it diverted attention from me to a book, allowing me to stay distant and hidden.
There was such deep brokenness in me I did not know how to love except through performance. I wanted to share Jesus and the things of God, but too many obstacles and barriers had been erected in my old life.
Before I could truly begin to love others and myself “inviting instead of separating”, I needed some deep healing and restoration. I needed to see myself as Jesus saw me and to “separate” from brokenness (some of it by forgiveness and repentance toward my parents).
And for many of us, the journey and tests intensify when Jesus begins deep healing and restoration – where we learn how to receive his grace and love in the deep, secret and hidden places of our hearts.
Discipline of the Lord
The discipline of the Lord makes our healing and restoration possible. His discipline teaches and exercises righteousness in your life and mine. To some, maybe even you, discipline has a negative connotation because of abuse and harshness.
Only Christ knows the degree to which you suffer and have suffered under the weight of wounds and sins. He has not forgotten you! God’s discipline will produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness in your life, and mine – bringing us to a place of forgiveness where we have been wronged.
His discipline is the heartbeat and breath of our Christian life! It “takes” us unto him, into sonship.
What the Bible Says About Us
First Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (NIV)
“Possession” is translated “peculiar” in the King James Version. It means acquisition and preservation. See Greek Strong’s number 4047 (1)
What is Peter telling us? Peter is saying, God has instructed me to tell you “you are God’s treasured possession”. You are a peculiar people to me – one I have fought for and purchased with an unimaginable price. I am jealous for you!
How is his jealousy expressed toward us in our daily life? And how do we know we are his treasured possession right now?
His jealousy is expressed to you and me by pursuing us. He awakens “intimacy” and prepares our hearts by his personal lovingkindness in gentleness. Nothing compares to experiencing Christ. A head knowledge of Jesus just won’t do!
His very nature compels to “come” and reveal his presence. He’s passionate about having intimacy with us, making us into his likeness, a new creation in God. And he is passionate about removing the roadblocks and obstacles hindering the fulfillment of God’s plan in you and me.
The problem is our heart is torn between so many things it takes time for the Lord to arrange circumstances to awaken us from sleep.
What a marvelous expression to his treasured possessions, he, who has everything, would take the time, effort, and personal commitment to intervene and interact with us at a deep and intimate level.
Christ Intervenes
In the Gospel of Matthew 24:40, Jesus says, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.”(NIV) The English word “taken” really does not do justice to the meaning in Greek. I believe this passage is one of the great pearls in scripture.
Here is what I see in this passage. The Lord is “coming” to take us unto himself, to fight for his treasured possession. He comes to save us from the weight of sin and darkness pervading our life. This is beyond being born again and filled with the spirit. This is deep intimacy and intentionality on the part of Jesus toward us.
I believe Jesus is saying, in effect, I see your heart for me and I see all of the brokenness in your life. I am coming to intervene in your life, to transform you, heal you, and to unite you with me. There is a measure of righteousness for your generation I desire to accomplish in you. I will initiate, test, train and disciple you.
Remember how the Lord brought Eve from Adam when he was in a deep sleep? The implication of “taken” in the context of this passage is similar.
God the Father is bringing us forth out of Christ, out of his side during Christ’s physical absence. We are being “taken” by the Father and his Son in the Holy Spirit into the realm of grace – being prepared through discipline for intimate relationship with Christ. God is intentionally and aggressively getting rid of the trespassers in our life.
Another Example of God’s Pursuit of Us
Psalm 16 gives an excellent description of our peculiarity. In verses five and six the Psalmist writes, “ 5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (NIV)
This is an amazing passage of Scripture. God reveals how unique and peculiar our relationship is to him. In effect, it tells the story of God, in gentleness and love, cleansing and healing us.
The Lord is saying I am your portion and inheritance, and I offer you a cup to drink – the cup of the cross. Pick up your cross and follow me – you are secure in my grace and love as you hold firm and allow me to accomplish Christ in you.
Prophetically speaking of Christ and those in Christ, the Psalmist is saying, “I am your inheritance, you have a measure of my kingdom and my Holy Spirit, and you can be secure in your place in my kingdom. I have sufficient grace to hold you, as you partake of the cup of renewal I have measured just for you. Pick up your cross and follow me and drink the cup I drank and be renewed in body, soul, and spirit. By taking the cup, I will cleanse and heal you and make you a peculiar person unto me. I will take you deep into the areas of your life held by wounds and sins. I will fight on your behalf, protect you, and bring life out of those areas that once brought death.”
Further, “I have established territory for you, boundary lines like Israel of old, and you will possess it. I will fight on your behalf and dispossess those in your land. We walk through this journey together possessing what I have given you. Hold firm to me and you will see the promises I have made to you come to pass and you will apprehend what I have apprehended you for. Do not fear. I will be your strength. Your renewal is my inheritance and yours, a delight.”
May you be strengthened and encouraged in your journey, Amen!
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™
(1) James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew Chaldee and Greek Dictionaries, Riverside Book and Bible House, Iowa Falls, Iowa
