Part 10 (1/2)
START NOW.
So if you haven't done it already-or if you started last paragraph but forgot by now-why not start this moment?
You are, right now, enveloped by G.o.d's loving presence like a molecule of water in the middle of an infinite ocean. His loving presence presses in on you like the water pressure on a submarine three miles beneath the ocean. Right now, simply become aware of this truth. Let the reality of G.o.d's loving presence be the canva.s.s against which you experience and interpret the world around you-including reading this book.
As Brother Lawrence taught, sprinkling short spoken prayers throughout the day will help you stay awake to G.o.d's presence. As you're reading the next couple paragraphs, for example, you might want to pause every now and then and whisper, ”Thank you Lord for surrounding me with your love” or ”I surrender this moment up to you.” A central challenge of Kingdom disciples.h.i.+p is to make this sort of prayer a habit. I believe it's what Paul was getting at when he told us to ”pray continually.”
WAKING UP.
As bad as I am at this discipline, I've learned over time that Brother Lawrence is absolutely right-the most insignificant details of our life take on eternal significance when they are integrated with an awareness of G.o.d's continual presence. In G.o.d's presence, the ”secular” world disappears as it is enveloped by, and permeated with, the ”holy.”
As I've practiced the presence of G.o.d, there have been moments when I've suddenly become aware of the beautiful mystery of every detail of my surroundings. It's like the Kingdom breaks through my habitual, false, ”secular” view of the world and explodes it from the inside out. In these moments I sense the mind-boggling miracle of existence in everything around me. A leaf twitching in the wind; a bird flying overhead; a ladybug on the blade of gra.s.s-it's all an unfathomable miracle. In these moments I am tangibly aware that all things are at every moment held in existence by ”[G.o.d's] powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). I am struck with childlike wonder. I feel like I'm looking at the world for the first time.
In moments like these I realize how much the secularized world-view has dulled my spiritual senses.
Experiences like this are magnificent, but we can't make them happen (I've tried), and we shouldn't strive for them. Our goal is not to have experiences but simply to live faithful to the pledge we made when we confessed Jesus Christ as Lord.
This is the Kingdom. It's all about our lives becoming a domain over which G.o.d reigns. And our lives are nothing more than a series of present moments strung together. is the Kingdom. It's all about our lives becoming a domain over which G.o.d reigns. And our lives are nothing more than a series of present moments strung together.
As we grow in our capacity to seek first the Kingdom of G.o.d every moment, surrendering to his love in each of the present moments that make up our lives, we increasingly manifest the beauty of G.o.d's holy Life, and we revolt against the secularism that so profoundly afflicts our world.
LISTENING TO G.o.d.
If we live with a secular mindset, our mind is consumed with self-centered thoughts. We think about our our plans and desires and about how things affect plans and desires and about how things affect us us. Our mind is a domain over which we we reign rather than one over which G.o.d reigns. reign rather than one over which G.o.d reigns.
Practicing the presence of G.o.d begins to change this. Remaining aware of G.o.d's presence and surrendering to G.o.d's will on a moment-by-moment basis draws us out of ourselves and gives us a capacity to begin to hear G.o.d's voice. Now G.o.d can begin to lead us to carry out his his plans and wishes, rather than our own. Now we can begin to function like members of Christ's body that is actually responsive to ”the head.” Now we can function like sheep who hear the voice of the good shepherd. This is impossible when our mind is consumed with ourselves. plans and wishes, rather than our own. Now we can begin to function like members of Christ's body that is actually responsive to ”the head.” Now we can function like sheep who hear the voice of the good shepherd. This is impossible when our mind is consumed with ourselves.
As you embark on the practice of the presence of G.o.d, I encourage you to pay attention to small promptings in your heart. This is the sort of gentle nudge we subconsciously and automatically dismiss when our mindset is secularized. I encourage you to revolt against this secularism by paying attention to these nudges.
If an action that one feels nudged to engage in is consistent with the character of Jesus Christ, I encourage you not to overa.n.a.lyze it. Just do it. What's the worst that could happen? Even if the prompting wasn't directly from G.o.d, the worst-case scenario is that you just engaged in a loving Kingdom act. How bad is that?
A while back I drove up to a stop sign and watched a young lady with two children cross in front of me. They looked like they were rather poor, if not homeless. I whispered a little prayer of blessing on them, when suddenly I felt I was supposed to give her a hundred dollar bill I had been given earlier in the day.
So, much to the chagrin of the driver who had now pulled up behind me at this stop sign, I jumped out of my car and asked this lady: ”Do you believe in G.o.d?”
She gave me a bewildered and slightly concerned look as she hesitantly responded, ”Yeah.”
”Good,” I said as I walked toward her, ”because I think he's telling me to give you this.” I put the bill in her hand and said, ”He loves you and is watching out for you.” I quickly returned to my car and drove off. I glanced in my rearview mirror as I drove down the road and saw this young lady holding her hands over her face, crying.
Now, can I be absolutely sure this was G.o.d telling me to do this? No. I think think it was, because I usually consider giving money to total strangers an unwise investment of G.o.d's resources. But what if I'm wrong? At worst, I'm guilty of being foolishly generous. How bad is that? it was, because I usually consider giving money to total strangers an unwise investment of G.o.d's resources. But what if I'm wrong? At worst, I'm guilty of being foolishly generous. How bad is that?
I encourage you to revolt against our culture's secularized world-view by practicing the presence of G.o.d while paying attention to the nudges in your heart. When they are consistent with the character of Christ and express love, act on them. You've got nothing to lose-except perhaps some time and money. But even these you didn't really ”lose,” because now they're invested in the Kingdom.
As we grow in our capacity to live under the reign of G.o.d moment-by-moment, we increasingly manifest the beauty of his ever-present love while revolting against the ugly secularism that afflicts our world.
This is the heart of the Kingdom of G.o.d.
This is the heart of the revolution we've been invited to partic.i.p.ate in.
Viva la revolution!
WHAT CAN CAN WE DO? WE DO?.
AN ACTION GUIDE ACTION GUIDE.
CHAPTER 1: GIANT JESUS.
Returning to the Source. For each chapter I include practical action steps that readers can take to put the chapter's teaching into practice. The first suggested action step for each chapter is a reminder to ”Return to the Source.” I include this in each chapter because it is foundational to everything the Kingdom is about. Everything we do in the Kingdom manifests the fullness of Life we get from G.o.d alone. He alone is to be our source of Life. We will find it impossible to live out the radical, countercultural call of the Kingdom except insofar as our core sense of worth, significance, and security is anch.o.r.ed in G.o.d's love for us, expressed on Calvary. For each chapter I include practical action steps that readers can take to put the chapter's teaching into practice. The first suggested action step for each chapter is a reminder to ”Return to the Source.” I include this in each chapter because it is foundational to everything the Kingdom is about. Everything we do in the Kingdom manifests the fullness of Life we get from G.o.d alone. He alone is to be our source of Life. We will find it impossible to live out the radical, countercultural call of the Kingdom except insofar as our core sense of worth, significance, and security is anch.o.r.ed in G.o.d's love for us, expressed on Calvary.
I thus encourage readers to commit to continually relinquish all idols and to return to their one true source of Life. Engaging in the cla.s.sic spiritual disciplines alone and with other followers of Jesus is profoundly helpful in this regard. (For information on these, see the suggested readings at.) The spiritual discipline I and many others have found most helpful in experiencing G.o.d's fullness of Life involves the biblical and traditional practice of imaginative prayer (sometimes called ”cata-phatic prayer”). 1 1 Paul teaches that while unbelievers have a veil over the minds, the Spirit removes this veil when a person submits to Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14 16). He then adds, Paul teaches that while unbelievers have a veil over the minds, the Spirit removes this veil when a person submits to Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14 16). He then adds, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17 18, RSV) Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17 18, RSV) Notice that the Spirit-inspired ”beholding” Paul speaks of in this pa.s.sage is one that occurs in the mind in the mind. ”The G.o.d of this age has blinded the minds the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot of unbelievers, so that they cannot see see...the glory of Christ, who is the image of G.o.d” (2 Corinthians 4:4, emphasis added). But the Spirit has set believers free to see ”the light of the knowledge of the glory of G.o.d in the face of Jesus Christ” (4:6).
In light of this, I encourage you to regularly set aside times when you ask the Spirit to help you experience in your mind in your mind the glory of G.o.d in the face of Jesus Christ. Get alone in a darkened room, put on some soft lyricless background music, and imaginatively see, hear, and sense Jesus Christ expressing his perfect, unconditional love to you. Envision Jesus telling you things G.o.d's already said the glory of G.o.d in the face of Jesus Christ. Get alone in a darkened room, put on some soft lyricless background music, and imaginatively see, hear, and sense Jesus Christ expressing his perfect, unconditional love to you. Envision Jesus telling you things G.o.d's already said about about you in Scripture, but now you in Scripture, but now experience experience him expressing it to you him expressing it to you personally personally.
You might, for example, experience the Lord looking into your eyes as he tells you he loves you with a perfect everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), that you are his beloved friend (John 15:5), and that nothing can separate you from his love (Romans 8:35 39). You might experience the Lord holding you as a little child, promising you that, in contrast to what some others may have done in your life, he will never leave you or forsake you (Matthew 28:20).
It's one thing to know about know about these truths, but these truths, but experiencing experiencing the Lord communicate them to you personally is far more transforming. Experiencing the beauty of Christ's love as the source of our core worth, significance, and security sets us free to live in the Kingdom revolution. the Lord communicate them to you personally is far more transforming. Experiencing the beauty of Christ's love as the source of our core worth, significance, and security sets us free to live in the Kingdom revolution.
Examine yourself. Alone and with friends, reflect on the extent to which your life mirrors the life of Christ. What difference does following Jesus make in terms of how you view others and spend your time, talents, and resources? If you were Alone and with friends, reflect on the extent to which your life mirrors the life of Christ. What difference does following Jesus make in terms of how you view others and spend your time, talents, and resources? If you were not not a follower of Jesus, how would your life look different? Ask G.o.d to reveal to you aspects of the broader culture that you have unwittingly appropriated, especially those inconsistent with his reign. a follower of Jesus, how would your life look different? Ask G.o.d to reveal to you aspects of the broader culture that you have unwittingly appropriated, especially those inconsistent with his reign.
When you discern inconsistencies, don't judge yourself harshly. Conviction is helpful, but judgment isn't. Simply remind yourself that your worth, security, and significance come from what G.o.d thinks of you as defined by Calvary. Ask G.o.d to empower you to live consistent with the Kingdom ident.i.ty and to manifest his beauty. Ask fellow Jesus-followers your share life with to hold you accountable to this commitment.
CHAPTER 2: CHRIST AND CAESAR.
Return to the Source. We can't hope to change the world until we ourselves are changed. When broken people-including broken Christians-try to fix the world, we only succeed in breaking it further. Our Kingdom impact can never outrun our own Kingdom transformation, and the key to personal transformation concerns where we go to get Life. We can't hope to change the world until we ourselves are changed. When broken people-including broken Christians-try to fix the world, we only succeed in breaking it further. Our Kingdom impact can never outrun our own Kingdom transformation, and the key to personal transformation concerns where we go to get Life.
We cannot hope to advance the Kingdom as long as we get any aspect of our sense of worth, significance, or security from anything other than the King. If we get our Life from our political or national allegiances, for example, we will invariably fuse them with our (now compromised) allegiance to the Kingdom, and we will tend to view those opposed to our political or national allegiances as enemies. To keep the Kingdom holy and to live in love, we must consistently return to the one true source of Life, Jesus Christ.
Set aside regular times when you drink deeply from the infinite reservoir of G.o.d's love. Relying on the Holy Spirit, imagine Jesus expressing to you all the things Scripture says about you because of your ident.i.ty in him.
Process this chapter. Alone and with friends, reflect on how this chapter impacted you. Did it challenge anything you previously thought about government, Jesus, or the Kingdom of G.o.d? How might you live differently because of what you learned? What questions does this chapter raise that you hope will be answered later in the book? Did you disagree with anything in this chapter? If so, ask yourself if yours is a legitimate counter-perspective or if it's rooted in something else. Alone and with friends, reflect on how this chapter impacted you. Did it challenge anything you previously thought about government, Jesus, or the Kingdom of G.o.d? How might you live differently because of what you learned? What questions does this chapter raise that you hope will be answered later in the book? Did you disagree with anything in this chapter? If so, ask yourself if yours is a legitimate counter-perspective or if it's rooted in something else.