Adapting to the Mystery of Life.

In the Biblical sense, mystery is not simply complicated and hard to figure out, like an intricate detective thriller. It refers to that which is hidden, not yet revealed, a secret. The leverage that mystery might wield over us is not confined to hard circumstances either. Adam was duped in a perfect garden of light. The serpent dangled mystery in front of him. The secret and hidden things that God was protecting him from, once tempted, he believed he was entitled to. The serpent-paved path to compromise has seduced many from the faith – forfeiting hinds feet, for life on a lower level. 

When Jesus plainly foretold his death and resurrection, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Jesus in turn rebuked Peter. Get behind me Satan. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man. And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.’ (Mark 8:34-35)

Six days later, Peter, James and John witnessed the radiance of a transfigured Christ as he visited on a mountain top with Elijah and Moses. As they were coming down the mountain Jesus again foretold his sufferings, that the Son of Man would be treated with contempt.

Unlike the things of man, the things of God are “death friendly.” They are unto the saving of our lives. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” is a beautiful, paradoxical, oftentimes turbulent, prayer. (Phil.3:10)

Knowing the power of resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, not in random separation but in a divine co-mingling, is an attribute of the Son of man that we are privileged to embrace, and requires adaptation to mystery. 

The speed of our culture has slowed down our zeal to search out the secret things of God. Everything else is “on-demand” so why can’t it be that way in God? We’re expecting a fine quality wine from yesterday’s grapes!

The quest for a God-like heart, the longing to be like the One to whom darkness is as light, will produce a Gethsemane-like trust deep within. It is the cushion of mystery that comforts on the solitary Cross-walk. Our hearts are tenderized, mining for light in a shaft of darkness – a cumbersome, slowly rewarding process. But in the end, “light dawns in the darkness for the upright” and all things will be revealed, in His time.  (Psalm 112:4; Luke 8:17) Mystery is the forerunner to revelation.

The desperate cry of our hearts for life to be explained and understood is usually not answered in the preferred manner. We are not meant of course, to discount the faculty of reason that God has blessed us with, but we don’t live by reason; we live by faith.

A favorite novelist of mine expressed it thusly: If it (an explanation) were given he would soon need a larger one, and a still larger one after that, until in the end no explanation would fill the yawning abyss of his doubt… Not-knowing was the way to ultimate union with the Love whose embrace was the filling of every doubt, the binding up of all wounds. ¹

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¹ Michael D. O’brien, Father Elijah (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 1996), 561

 

The Marriage Garden*

“Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits.” (Song 4:16)

It’s the north and south winds blowing on the marriage garden which cause the spices to flow out. The north winds are bitter and cold (adversity) while the south winds are warm and refreshing (blessing). I recommend that every couple enjoy both because Jesus is Lord over each.

“The cold winds strip us and the warm winds clothe and restore us. In both times we drink deeply of all that God gives us. In times of weakness, it is the memory of God’s enabling strength that sustains our hearts. In times of strength, it is the remembrance of our utter weakness that protects us.” 1

There’s glory in the north winds. I heard these words in my spirit one day as I pondered the experience of the prophet Ezekiel. While in the midst of the exiles in Babylon, a stormy wind came out of the north. (Ezekiel 1:4) It brought two things: the glory of God and the voice of God. These are two commodities that we contend for and strive to acquire. They are often ushered into our lives with the escort of turbulence. The question of the hour becomes: Do I want comfort or accuracy?

We can all confess to how hard it is at times to live with ourselves as we seek to change and grow in Christ. It goes to “times two” when you’re married. It’s your stuff plus your spouse’s stuff. On top of that, we don’t grow at a uniform pace. My soil may have been rototilled, leveled out, seeded, and growing steadily. My spouse might be at a different stage. They may be struggling with a particular phase of the process much to my bewilderment. This is a good time to reinforce those budding virtues on behalf of my spouse that Jesus sees in all of us!

The Sovereign Overseer in the garden of my life is God. Agents employed in his hand include parents, siblings, friends, pastors, spiritual leaders, and of course – our spouse. The end goal is for our personal destinies to be planted, harvested, and released upon the earth.

Gardens look different in the winter than they do in the spring and summer. But it’s OUR marriage garden; its flowers and fragrance are unique; and we are committed to it for life.

* Excerpt from “Longing for Eden: Embracing God’s vision in your marriage” by Mike & Anne Rizzo.

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1)  Dana Candler, Deep Unto Deep (Kansas City: Forerunner Publishing, 2004), 172.

 

The “Aha Moments.”

It was a high point of understanding for the disciples. Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! (John 16:29) Finally! You’re giving it to us straight, in plain talk – no more figures of speech. (The Message Bible)

What exactly did Jesus say that produced this “aha moment” for his followers? The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. (16:25-27)

He alluded to it in countless parabolic discourse, crystal clear to us in retrospect, but only figures of speech to the first time hearers. The circuit of heart connect with Abba was being soldered in. They got it! Message received and understood. The “aha moment” had arrived. Mystery is the forerunner for revelation.

As they were basking in their new-found clarity, Jesus continued: Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (16:32-33)

Jesus was building in them a resolve that would carry them through the tribulation that lay ahead. Jesus abiding in Abba meant that He was never alone, and neither will we, ever be alone, no matter the darkness, no matter the cross we are called to bear. Jesus as the Son of man knew what it felt like to be forsaken on the cross, but Jesus as the eternal Word was always in the bosom of the Father. As with our Lord so it shall be with us.

He alludes to the “moment” in his high priestly prayer to the Father: Now they know that everything you have given me is from you….(they) have come to know in truth that I came from you and they have believed that you sent me. (17:7-8)

We surmise that we can handle the straight talk from God, pure revelation, uncut from the Throne. In reality, we grasp in crumb-like volumes and it nearly overwhelms us. The “cushion of mystery” as I call it, keeps our finite minds from exploding. One of the most challenging components for me is the prying away of my white knuckle grip on falsehood in order to posture myself to receive the truth. It’s not so much the inability to believe the new revelation as it is the struggle to stop believing the tenured lies.

I live for the “aha moments” of clarity, that have no expiration date; moments that blend into and renew, the foundational structure of my heart for the ongoing journey.

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Enduring Love

My entire Christian life I’ve been perplexed at observing followers of Christ deviate from their devotion to follow another path or default to their previous lifestyle. A pattern observed by the Apostle Paul in the Galatian church gives language to this behavior.

Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?…For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ…because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father. We see a beautiful partnership amongst the Trinity in the connecting and sealing of our hearts.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?…I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain…my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. 

Once through the birth canal is max for me, thank you. Not to mention the fact that opposition and resistance on the forward path are sufficient enough without having to “turn back” to my former slavery.

Contrasted with the fluctuation of the human, is the wonderful divine trait of perfect enduring love. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17) The Father never turns or varies from His bright, nurturing gaze upon our lives. There is no “eclipse” of light. Every imaginable life challenge is seemingly listed at the end of Romans chapter eight, and the good news is that “nothing” shall separate us from His enduring love.

Darkness accompanies our soul into the world, but once we encounter and are trained in right living (righteousness), it becomes our choice to choose concealment from the light. Jesus said, And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. (John 3:19) Hence the principle learned from the disciples in Galatia. Due diligence is required.

Persecution for the faith is already being experienced by many Christians in our world. Many have also been shipwrecked in their faith due to the influence of false prophets. Both of these will increase greatly as we move into the last days. Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13)

Abiding in God’s enduring love is not a passive exercise. The potential that one’s love is capable of growing “cold” is sobering indeed. The progressive, ever-deepening, impression of His holy seal upon our hearts must  be sought after and guarded, that enduring love would be our portion.

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“With This Ring”

I preface the “rings” portion of the wedding  ceremony with a brief explanation of the king’s signet ring pressing into the hot wax, sealing and authorizing the royal document. I speak to the bride and groom that the rings are “sealing” the marriage covenant. Prior to the grand event, multiple hours were spent in pre-marital mentoring, the melting of the wax so to speak, unto the moment of the “seal”, the exchanging of the rings. As I mentioned in the last post, every marriage must be watchful that the perimeter not be breached lest the efficacy of the seal be compromised.

The Song of Solomon is a deep spiritual allegory containing rich interactive segments of interaction between  Jesus the Bridegroom and His beloved. At the culmination of the book He extends this invitation: “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm.” This is a beautiful invitation unto purposeful communion. “Set me on your heart by communing with me.” With our Lord and with our spouse, we must be intentional in this regard.The strength of the seal rests on our communing with Him in the present tense.

The seal speaks of the power of Jesus released by the Holy Spirit. The love of God poured out upon my heart at salvation, was and is, a “sealing love.” Yet my response to this love will determine how I navigate through trials to arrive at the refuge of sustained hope. (Romans 5:1-5) It is also a progressive sealing – God’s vision over my heart is that I grow in love over the years, being “rooted and grounded” in its surety.

“Set Me as a signet (ring) upon your heart” is the literal translation. It reminds me of a couple renewing their marriage vows, more often than not, a re-commitment after enduring a season of testing. Spiritually speaking, I cover this ground with Christ on a regular basis. The seal of God speaks of my spiritual identity, the way in which I am to carry my heart before God. The vigilance that was lacking in Eden inspires me to say, “Not on my watch.” I will not (by the grace of God) allow the perimeter to be breached. I renew my vows Lord. I set You as a seal upon my heart today.

While the heart represents my devotion and affection to God, I also want the impression of His signet upon my arm – labors in ministry and the loving of my neighbor. This seal of love upon the arm is a protection against weariness, compromise, and defilement.

“Set me as a signet ring upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave.” (Song of Solomon 8:6) “Death and the grave” is a pretty comprehensive and powerful seal; occurrences of undoing are very rare in this life. Fierce jealousy is all consuming; full possession is God’s design for our individual lives and marriages.

The grave is unyielding; it demands the total submission of all human life. So it is with all those who choose to be “crucified with Christ”, “living sacrifices”, wed and sealed upon the altar of love.

 

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

The young music artist was experimenting with the melody and played it for his mom. When she heard it, she exclaimed the words: “Signed, sealed and delivered, I’m yours.” Stevie Wonder completed the rest of the lyrics and released it in 1970 as his first single, landing six weeks as Number 1 on the R&B charts. In 2008 a presidential candidate had the song played at campaign events after he delivered his speech. Without question, it’s a catchy tune.

In the business world this phrase means that a particular document was properly “executed”, “secured” in a suitable envelope, and then “handed over” to the intended recipient. Press speed dial for the spiritual application of this phrase: our salvation was signed in heaven, sealed in Christ, and delivered to the human race. “For on Him (Jesus) God the Father has set His seal” (John 6:27)

This wonderful truth is summed up nicely here: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,  who is the guarantee (down payment) of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it (or, until God redeems His possession) to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

As of this writing, I’ve been enjoying the “down payment” of my inheritance in Christ for almost four decades. It’s supplied all that I’ve needed to live life and it continually renews anticipation of my acquiring another dimension of its reality. As strangers and sojourners, we have tasted of the powers of the age to come and the superior pleasure of knowing Christ. Yet we are beleaguered daily by the transient things of this world that carry the intense feel of permanence. Biblically, they are defined as “light momentary affliction” but they sure do pack a wallop.

I lean totally upon the Divine guarantee that is behind the “seal” of God. Being sealed with the Holy Spirit speaks of Jesus’ ownership, protection, and authority over our lives. In the ancient world the royal seal of the king’s signet ring was used to authenticate documents. Breaking a royal seal was considered a serious crime. The first transgression was initiated by the serpent in the garden and his evil army has sought ever since to separate the heart of God’s people from intimate connection. Unable to break the seal of God, the enemy’s only recourse was to deceive and entice mankind into making poor decisions. The battle rages on.

The strength of God’s seal is clearly expressed in John chapter ten. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” The greatness of the Father and the Son is what I depend upon for my safety.

Yet there are sheep, and marriages, that are seemingly “snatched” away by the enemy. Families are plundered and future generations marred. What is the role that we must play to ensure that the perimeter is not breached?

To Be Continued…

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Resolving Conflict

Fight to Win: “I win, you lose / I’m right, you’re wrong.” This is one person trying to dominate the other. It’s the need to triumph. If you’ve never been trained in how to handle hurt and anger, this will be a common response.

Withdraw: “Conflict is uncomfortable so I need to get out of the process.” If we view conflict as having no potential to be fruitful, then we will build a hopeless attitude. Couples who believe this will end up building separate interests to avoid having to spend too much time together. Less time spent together = less potential conflict. Transparency and honesty will diminish.

Yield: “Fine, whatever you want is fine. It’s better than arguing!” In this scenario, a safe feeling is more important than building a close relationship. Yielding may diffuse the immediate issue but it opens the door to harboring bitterness. And the other spouse will then be tempted to take advantage of the passive one. But this is just a major blowup waiting to happen down the road.

Lovingly Confront: “I love you and care enough about you to work on resolving the issues.” Our marriage relationship is of a higher value than winning, being comfortable, or escaping.

Steps to Loving Confrontation:

Look Inward. Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Here are the prerequisites needing to be met prior to addressing the weakness of another: be spiritual, have a spirit of gentleness, make sure you’re not tempted in the same way. Before I confront, I need to check myself to be sure I’m not moving forward in the wrong spirit, in a prideful way.

Pick the Right Time and Place.  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11

Speak the Truth in Love. “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians.4:15)  ”Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4) Present the truth gently, regarding your spouse’s needs as more important than your own.

Truth without love inflicts injury.Love without truth robs the person of a chance to grow. I need to hear truth that I might embrace an opportunity to change and grow.

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