Hello, I hope you are enjoying the series on A Peculiar People.
Moves of God, Revival
We live in a special time – a “privileged time,” that God would offer us the opportunity for restoration and healing. What the ancients desired to look into is available to us. (1 Peter 1:10-12)
We have 2,000 years of Christianity behind us and a new chapter of reformation unfolding in our generations, positioning the Church for the deeper things of God now and in the years ahead.
Moves of God, “revivals,” are broader than what we typically associate with these terms. When revivals are mentioned we commonly think of the likes of Jonathan Edwards (Great Awakening) in the 1700s, Azusa Street in the early 1900s, the Latter Rain and healing revivals of the late 40s and 50s (Oral Roberts, etc.,), the Jesus movement in the 60s and 70s, and so on.
The revival I’m writing about in this series is at the individual level, where Jesus comes and takes someone aside and begins a deep work of initiation, training, and discipline – “preparation.” (You may need to read my first post in this series, and subsequent posts, to understand this statement and scriptural support.)
Preparation is a time of being “fashioned” by God, being made new in the inner man. A time of receiving care, coming to know the love of God and his delight. A time of revealing and revelation.
A time of repentance, forgiveness, quietness and trust. A time of knowing and being known, fathering and sonship, and intimacy and connection with Christ.
A time of new wine in new wineskins – a time of deep inner cleansing and healing.
Preparation, Old Testament Types
The preparation of John the Baptist in the wilderness was a move of the Holy Spirit, a revival in John’s life, but not one you and I would seek or be sustained, unless moved upon by the Lord.
King David’s sojourn in the wilderness (fleeing Saul) was a move of the Holy Spirit (deepened David’s relationship and dependence on God), and yet, not something you and I would normally attribute to revival and a move of God.
The Lord used David’s time in the wilderness, fleeing sin, to train, discipline, and prepare David to lead the nation of Israel.
And what about Joseph in prison and Moses shepherding sheep 40 years. These were not your typical “revival,” but God used this time to deepen their relationship with him, set them apart from the world, care for them, and reveal himself to them in the quiet of their solitude.
These were Old Testament types, in some form and manner, of the discipline, training, and preparation Christ would go through, and you and me as well.
They spoke of the “promise” to come. We, being in the New Testament, have access to the promise now in Christ.
The “promise” of being made new, putting off the sinful nature, newness of life in Christ – healing and restoration, is available now in Christ to you and me.
This is the beauty, majesty and mystery of the gospel. Christ’s value (in a manner of speaking, in our individual lives) may be likened, in a small measure, to the beauty we give him in return for the price he paid for us.
It behooves you and me to let Christ work the mystery of the gospel in our lives that he would receive the reward due him and fruit of his labors.
Christ, Peter’s Pattern
If our calendar is correct, about 2,000 years ago at this time Jesus would be somewhere in his 20s.
Can you imagine what life was like for Jesus in his 20s? What were his days like? What was his daily routine? How much contact did he have with religious folk and what did they think of him? And what did the locals and his family think?
What did Jesus think about while his peers were dreaming of marriage and family? What was going on inside Christ’s heart as he saw others preparing for a full life; having a vision for a life complete with children and grandchildren?
How much advance knowledge did he have about his own personal life and what lay ahead for him? What were the challenges and uncertainties facing him requiring faith and obedience?
And what about all the training and discipline Jesus underwent to prepare him for ministry? How about the countless choices, surrenders, and cries to his heavenly Father to keep him centered in his Father’s will?
Can you imagine the “pull” on Christ’s heart and the temptations he faced? How much different is our journey from his?
You may think these questions are strange, but how can we understand our journey if we don’t understand our “author’s” (Hebrews 12:2) journey? And what about the Scriptures saying Christ is the “firstfruit” (1 Corinthians 15:20) and “forerunner” (Hebrews 6:20)? And what about him calling us “brethren” (Hebrews 2:11)?
There is more to be understood about Christ’s life and how our journey folds into his.
The book of Hebrews along with the gospel accounts and other references in the New Testament records Christ’s personal victory over the flesh and temptation, the journey of initiation, testing, and discipline.
Jesus was “fashioned” by his heavenly Father to be our high priest and mediator. The book of Hebrews in particular is a snapshot of the years of training and discipline the Father poured into the man Jesus Christ in preparation for the office of eternal High Priest and mediator of our faith and salvation.
I will explore more of the book of Hebrews and other New Testament writings about Christ’s journey in future posts.
Peter
We left Peter in Part 6 at his desk writing verse 2 of 1 Peter. (Peter may have used someone skilled in the art of writing to pen this epistle.) This verse sets the tone for what he is about to write in his first letter.
It’s the summation of Christ’s work in Peter’s life, the birth and maturation of Christ in Peter.
The scholars say Peter wrote this epistle near the end of his life. What an honor – Christ choosing Peter to testify of his journey with Jesus and his journey “in” Jesus.
During Christ’s ministry to Israel, Peter saw many outward manifestations of the Spirit of God in miracles, healings, and conversions – seeing and experiencing the outward manifestation of the Holy Spirit and revival.
But the deeper revival, the one in the inner man, is not easily discerned nor understood. Before one can bring revival, they must be revived. That principle applies to everyone born in flesh.
Peter witnessed the majesty and power of the Holy Spirit operating in Christ but little did he or the other disciples understand Christ’s journey before his ministry.
In John 21, (Part 5 in this series), Jesus does not delay but invites Peter into the mystery of the gospel. Jesus knows if he waits too long after the crucifixion it will be harder for Peter to enter into the deep intimacy and preparation Christ has for him.
It would be safe to say the other disciples are being brought into the “stable of the Lord” as well. Great challenges and opportunities are before them and they will need the deep work of God in their life to overcome and present Christianity to others.
A Little Bit More About Me
I will conclude part 7 by sharing something I went through about five years ago. (I wanted to get to verse 2 of 1 Peter but that will have wait till the next post.)
2014 and 2015 were the beginning of a deep work by the Lord. In 2014 I underwent radiation treatment for prostate cancer. In 2015 and for the next couple years I had side effects from the treatment. The side effects were at times, distressing, to say the least.
In early 2015 the Lord spoke to me (not audibly) saying he would walk me through healing. Little did I know the different things this would mean. How precious are his words!
One morning, as I was preparing to go to my weekly men’s meeting, the Lord spoke to me (not audibly) and said, “take a cab.”
His directions were unmistakable, and I knew it, nonetheless, the rotors of “questioning” started to turn. As I readied myself to go to men’s meeting and called the cab, I had a lot of lingering questions in the back of my mind about what I was doing, why, and what does all this mean.
Ultimately, I chose to obey and by faith risked the thoughts and opinions of my family, myself, and others. (The Lord was doing a lot of other things in my life, so this was not just an isolated out of the blue nudge by God.)
So, like I said, I called a cab and went to my men’s meeting. I was the first one and as I walked in the door and said to the host, “I had a strange experience this morning, I came in a cab,” and then I started to say, “the Lord instructed” and before I could complete my thought and sentence the host looked me straight in the eye and said, “Drake, you need to be obedient to the Lord.”
It was one of those times when you know the person is anointed to speak to you.
Looking back, I now understand the Lord was wanting me to rest and relax, because driving can be stressful, and give my body greater opportunity and time for healing. Jesus was caring for my heart and my body.
If you have knowledge of orphans and abandonment, you may know it can be a breeding ground for defiance. And defiance can be masked through displays of service and obligation and “I can do it,” the self-made man.
Jesus used this situation in my life not only to foster healing in my body but also to help my heart begin a process of learning obedience in the areas of defiance.
For the next two months I did not drive. I took a cab wherever I needed to go, had groceries delivered, etc. I felt this was the Lord’s will for me at this time, to rest, be content, and let him and others care for me.
Having others care for you when you’ve cared for others your whole life is a battle in itself. Having others care for you is, to say the least, challenging and difficult for orphans and those who suffer from abandonment – because their life practice has been to take care of themselves and not need others.
As the season of nondriving drew to a close, I felt a release from the Lord it was time to be more active and drive. Interestingly, within two weeks from being released from the Lord to drive, it was necessary for me to drive to take care of a family member. The timing of the Lord is perfect when he works obedience in your heart.
When the Lord touches an area in your life, you’ll find it reaching into areas you would not imagine.
I’ve let you see through a small window a little bit of my journey. It may seem like a small matter, the situation I described, as simply one of healing and rest. But, when your wounds are anything but rest, and works and performance have been the steward of your life, you face great challenges in obedience training.
Until my next post, Drake
