Tanking Up in the Morning

On the Day of Pentecost, "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit," but they were accused of being filled with wine. I am looking to how I may "tank up" every morning, and to keep "topping off" throughout the day. Ephesians 5:18-21 comes to mind: "...be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ toGod, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." Like being filled with wine, being filled with the Spirit affects how I see things, how I talk, how I react, etc. Thank God He does not leave me on my own to conjure up my own will-power (which for some of us, just doesn't go very far). But to daily invite God to do an act of God in me and through me, and then watch Him go...is a blast!

Fresh Vitality and Christian Education

Regarding "The One Who Baptizes in and with the Holy Spirit" Darrell Johnson writes, "The one common denominator for all is the experience of newness. There is a new quality of life, a freshness, a Divine nearness and intimacy, a different kind of vitality" (Page 29). This quote reminds of the verse "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." One part of Christian education that I find particularly beautiful and powerful is being able to be used as "new" creations to inspire Christ's "re-creation" (also known as recreation in my line of work) in the hearts and minds of students, staff, and parents. To participate in the transforming work of Christ brings such deep joy and meaning. I love it. Thanks Jesus for this opportunity to serve.

Dunked and Drenched

To be dunked and drenched by the spirit! To be soaked head to toe by the Spirit! To weigh a few more pounds because I am soaking wet with something fresh and sweet.  It makes me think about the kids jumping off the roof of the houseboat 2 weeks ago.  Once they commit to jumping off the roof there is nothing they can do to stop themselves from getting absolutely dunked and drenched by the Delta. I want the Spirit of God to be like that in my life.  I have committed my life to Jesus and His response to me is to dunk and drench me with His love and Spirit.  I too often quench the work of the Spirit in my life due to being critical, judgmental, prideful, and fearful. Father forgive me, create in me a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within me.

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord.

My finite mind is trying to grasp the vastness of Jesus' baptism.  So maybe I am like a glass.  Before I knew Jesus, I was empty.  I met Jesus in my 20's so I know what empty feels like...and I was!  Then I met Jesus and He filled me...He invaded me...no, He did not invade me...because it was so sweet...it was God gently permeating my being and my glass filled up.  As I have gone through life, I have knocked my glass over; I've made cracks in my glass by my wrong choices; I've grieved the Holy Spirit and thrown His water out of my glass even when I knew better.  Praise the Lord I've never been able to empty my glass because He keeps re-filling me. Each time I ask Him to cleanse me, shower me anew, then I understand more of Him and He makes my "glass base" stronger so it is steadier and less sloshes out. "Fill my cup. Fill it up and make me whole."

Zooming In On The World!

"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World." The world is pretty big, with a lot of people, so lets zoom in and take a closer look. 

Hey, there I am! This means I am included in this cleansing by the Lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of Kevin. It's amazing to think about:

• I don't need to take my sin somewhere; Jesus takes it away.
• I don't need to feel something to make it go away...something like feeling bad for a certain amount of time;
• I don't have to do something great to earn Jesus' favor.

As I become aware of a sin, I confess it up to God and thank Him for the forgiveness through Jesus blood...

...And, I ask God for His Grace & Mercy to keep me from doing it again.

If I spend a lot of time fussing about it or feeling guilty, then I am not really believing that I've been forgiven.

No Bonus points for Fussing!!!

It's not about what I do; it is about what Jesus does: He takes away the sin of the world...hauls it away.

Let's zoom back out. Wow, look at all those people! There's a lot of folks out there that need to hear this good news!

Oh, Lamb of God, I come, I come

Ok, so I waited until the last minute of this week to read the first chapter of our book Who Is Jesus? And I have now just read it twice and parts 3x as I read it aloud to my husband Mike. I was so impacted by
Lamb
takes away
sin
world
World
sin
takes away
Lamb
that I started to cry.

What convicted me most was the section on sin. I know my sin put Jesus on the cross but I was thinking about individual sins not sin as the "all encompassing, self-centeredness, a need to control in order to get what I want, an attitude that colors every relationship...." (Keith Miller). I wanted to shout NO NO NO but, truly, I am addicted to putting myself in the center of my personal world. I need the Lamb of the Daily Sacrifice...actually I need the Lamb of the Minute-by-Minute Sacrifice.

I praise God that I can open my heart to HIM and the guilt is taken away (the sin was already taken away).  As His blood washes layer after layer of self-centeredness off me, His ointment of love, peace, and contentment cover me. I have hope.

Worshiping the Lamb of God. Serving with the Lamb of God

I am amazed this morning with how Christ's decision to "make Himself nothing" unleashed the power to transform all creation (Revelation 21:1-5.) He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter - Isaiah 53:7. Christ, the lamb, was silenced horrifically at the cross and yet all things in the earth and under the earth and in the sea shouts and sings, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”" He redefines the enemy's most devastating emptiness (Christ's death) with meaning. Tragic discord with harmony. Death with life. Silence with praise. Encountering Christ's selflessness and humility this morning through chapter 1 compels me to drop to my knees, bow my head in wonder, and declare -- THAT'S MY LORD! MY GOD!" He's so, so good. Thanks Jesus for exhibiting such purity of power in your loving pursuit of us. Push me to trust you when I am given the opportunity to lay down my life for others like you did. In all moments but perhaps especially moments of sacrifice, may my heart sing with hope and joy, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."

LOOK! LOOK!

I love the posture of John the Baptist in this first chapter.  "Look", "Look".   John's posture is pointing away from himself and pointing people to Jesus.  I think this is a great posture for ministry.  I think this is a great posture for us serving kids here at Jim Elliot. "Look, it is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Always pointing away from ourselves and pointing students to Jesus!

-Reid