On the way to my personal retreat I heard a song that moved me to tears, "A New Hallelujah."
Over the past few months, God has been leading me several different ways in the same direction (He used the movie "Fireproof," the book "The Shack," the songs "A New Hallelujah" & "God of this City"). He has been awakening in me a renewed passion for God's kingdom--his power, reign, salvation, and mission--as well as for our role as individual Christians and as God's called in Christ (his church). It is time for the church to arise, come alive and make Jesus known and make him famous.
This is a time in history when the fields are truly ripe for the harvest. People are wanting change. People are wanting security, safety, and certainty. People are wanting a sure hope that doesn't slip through their fingers when they almost arive. People are wanting peace and joy. The response by people to the present political and economical environment shows that people are really seeking and wanting all of these things and it also reveals people do not know where they can find any of them.
Maybe the response and direction this nation seems to be making reflect the dismal job we have been doing as God's children of freedom. Have we been the beacon of light in the darkness or have we (as the world) put our trust and hope in governmental, judicial, and economical powers and resources? Have we become stagnant and impotent, because we have relied on might instead of the Spirit? Have we lost our direction, because we made polticial reform our mission instead of divine transformation? Have we shown people the real source of righteousness, peace and joy or joined in with the world in handwringing ulcer causing empty pursuits?
Maybe we forget or don't have the faith that the one who lives in us is greater than the one who lives in this world, or that we have the message that is able to turn the world upside down. Maybe we forget or don't have the faith that God's kingdom has the power to overcome the world and give it a new and better direction. Maybe we lost sight of our real hope, the awesomeness of our salvation, and our true joy in the new relationship we have with God in Christ.
Change, hope, joy and peace will not come through litigation, political manipulation or governmental programs, it will come when we rise up as the church God has called and empowered us to be--where his reign, power, salvation and mission are experienced, lived and reflected by us. We are made new, given a new song and entrusted with the new mission of hope, peace and joy in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Arise, let the church arise!!
God used the song, "A New Hallelujah" to touch my heart convicting me first about myself--it is time for me to arise, come alive, reach out with love, and share hope with others, so they too are able to sing the same "new hallelujah." And to do this without fear or timidity, but with confidence and hope in the God of all creation, the God of this city, the King of these people, the Lord of this nation.
Instead of having anxiety over the political and economical environment--put your trust in the Lord, see how ripe the harvest is and share the Good News of Jesus--He is the only way people will experience real change, security, certainty, hope and joy. Let's show them the relationship they are able to have with God.
Arise, Let the Church Arise--Make Jesus known and make him famous!!!
WORDS TO "A NEW HALLELUJAH"
Can you hear, there's a new song
Breaking out from the children of freedom
Every race and every nation
Sing it out sing a new Hallelujah
Let us sing love to the nations
Bringing hope of the grace that has freed us
Make Him known and make Him famous
Sing it out sing the new Hallelujah
Arise let the church Arise
Let love reach to the other side
Alive come alive
Let the song Arise
(All the church) sings a new song
reaching out with the new Hallelujah
Every son and every daughter
everyone sing a new Hallelujah
Arise let the song
Arise Let love reach to the other side
Alive come alive
Let the song Arise
Everyone sing a new Hallelujah
Thursday, November 6, 2008
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2 comments:
One of my new favorites. Given today's atmosphere i find this song speaks to me a great deal.
This blog, the blog before it on the American Dream, and The Shack all touch on something that I’ve been thinking a lot of lately. Maybe you have too? Is peace the main thing we should be striving for in Christ? Is peace the main tool that we can use to show people who Christ is?
I don’t even know why, but even before reading The Shack, I’ve wanted answers lately on why the Lord doesn’t physically intervene when something bad happens. I know that He does, but lately I’ve been asking Him “why not all the time for believers?” I’ve even been mad at Him lately, which is weird because nothing terrible has happened to me or my family. I guess we’ve been praying pretty hard for some important things on Tuesday nights at TNT, and we’ve had several disappointments. Also, since our group is growing, it seems there’s always someone with a MAJOR prayer request.
I think I’m probably guilty of expecting some smooth sailing from the Lord as pay back for loving him. After all, the relationships with our Earthly fathers are centered on that father trying to give you the best things in life, complete with comforts. We even expect it. Even though I’m 34 years old, when I show up to my parents home for Thanksgiving I expect to not pay for any of the food; I never even think about offering. But I would if it wasn’t my father’s house. I guess there’s a part of me that wants that attitude from our Heavenly Father. The blog on the American Dream was about us expecting for only good things to happen to us, and I know that we haven’t been called to have comfortable lives. But, we still want them don’t we? At least I do. The Shack was about living in peace and love among all of the horrible things that happen to us. When I was reading The Shack I was saying out loud to the main character, “why don’t you ask God why the heck didn’t save her?” The attitude that God had in that book was that it didn’t matter that the bad thing happened, which wasn’t good enough for me to get revenge on the bad guy, at first. But, there is a good pay off at the end of the book and I felt stupid too, because I already knew the answer to the question of why God doesn’t intervene more. I just got Earthly; I’ve wanted Earthy payoffs lately. If I had been focused on Christ and not my life here on Earth I would have seen that this life is a drop in the bucket for all of us and heaven is forever. I know that one day I’m seriously going to need that attitude of peace. Even if I escape from calamity today and tomorrow, one day the great sadness will come for me, won’t it? Strength that comes from the peace of God can save me in that moment, I’ve figured that out. But, I guess what you’ve been trying to get across is that we shouldn’t wait until disaster strikes to live like that, right? I think peace is the main test of this whole thing; this experiment God has in us. And I think peace the main thing we should be striving for in Christ. Is peace the main tool that we can use to show people who Christ is? Is that what you mean by the Church “arising”?
Mark
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