Strangers

I have a book called, The Valley Of Vision. This is a book of Puritan prayers and devotions. I picked it up to read this morning and the one I turned to is called "The Saviour." Towards the end it goes,

"May I feel that I am a stranger and pilgrim on the earth,
Declaring plainly that I seek a country,
My title to it becoming daily more clear,
My meetness for it more perfect,
My foretaste of it more abundant."

These few lines are incredibly rich with deep revelation of scripture. Hebrews tells us that we really are pilgrims searching for a city who's builder and maker is God. The reality is that we will never be fully satisfied in this age, but only partially. Our actual inheritance and glory is in the age to come where we will dwell in fullness with God on the earth in the New Jerusalem.

As we are here on earth we begin to get little pieces of it where the Lord will touch us, but in reality this is just a foretaste of the coming kingdom when we will live in communion with God. In Mark 14:25 Jesus says, "truly I say to you, you will not drink of the fruit of the vine again until you drink it new in the kingdom." Jesus is telling us that our ultimate fulfillment will be in the Coming Kingdom, but even now there are tastes of this wine and kingdom which is evidence of heaven touching earth.

I would encourage you to watch this video of one of the songs that has come out of the IHOPU Student Awakening. This is exactly what they are singing of, that in that day we will drink of the marriage wine for real! Enjoy!

The Yes

I was just resting and reading Song of Solomon 4:9 and the Lord just began to show me His love. All it takes is for us to have the 'yes,' inside of us. It doesn't matter how many times we mess up or fall on our faces in our relationship with the Lord. The 'yes' inside us just needs to be sincere, no matter how weak it is. When we long to be with Him, He will satisfy us.

Because of that 'yes,' He is looking down and smiling at us. He is saying, 'well done, now let me fascinate you.' The yes is something that postures our heart to receive more. We get into this weird and wrong mindset that since we haven't prayed in a few days, or weeks, than we are far from the Lord and have to go through a season of condemnation, or guilt, or something that can make right what we have done wrong. But the Lord is saying, "Just come to me. Turn your heart to me 100%."

I would encourage you to keep saying yes throughout the next couple days, even if you feel weak and feel like your yes doesn't mean anything. Try it out and see what the Lord does!

Becoming like Christ

As I have been reading Ephesians 4:15 just popped out at my heart. This is what Christianity really is. We are "to grow up in every way" in Christ, to be on the way to the fullness of our new humanity in Him.

There will be a day when we will be with Him in fullness. We will see Him and immediately we will be like Him. Until that day we grow in our love as we serve and love each other. This has really been hitting my heart, because it is really only about one man, and we are becoming more and more like Him. Let it hit your heart!