"Come up here…" Rev. 4:1

The apostle Paul was concerned for the Corinthian church. They had a lot of good things going on, but some teachers and preachers were upsetting them. He feared that the church would be deceived like Eve had been, and led astray from the “simplicity that is in Christ.” Simplicity does not agree with an over active analyzing everything mindset. To just love the Lord with all the heart, and a neighbor as we have been loved can’t be the answer for all of life’s complications, can it? The prophet Isaiah tells us that in “quietness and trust” is our strength. Beginning this year is a great time to follow the KISS principle… Keep It Simple Stupid! Works for me.

Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants, but friends…” but we have a hard time receiving that as a present reality. Our service to the Lord, regardless of the type, can quickly fall prey to the law of sin and death. How? By looking for strength in the law of sowing and reaping. We have an image in our minds of what the fruit of the seeds we are sowing should look like. When we see something different than our image, we reflect first on ourself, the strength, resolve and determination of the sower, and then the seed, and then the soil all the while asking what went wrong. Those expectations are based on perceived ends. Our perceptions are limited at best by the time and space in which we have lived, and still live, small when compared with the eternal perspective of Jesus. Jesus encourages us from His vantage point of victory and resurrection , now, but which looks like future and someday in our eyes. When we trust Him, because He is our friend and would not steer us wrong, the the law of life in Christ Jesus negates the law of sin and death. We live in His now according to His perspective by faith, which pleases God. And that truly strengthens us!

I have been fascinated with a Toby Mac song of late, and one line in particular, “there are no practice runs in life.” So often though, we study the Bible as if to learn and practice Christianity, and to “get it down” before we try it in the real world. God’s Word is real life for the real world. We should study to know the author and His ways, but be careful, His perspective can be dangerous to our real world philosophies.

Time set apart for refocusing and refreshing is never in vain. Whether that pause is a moment in a day, or a retreat from the every day, reflecting on the goodness of God, remembering His promises and faithfulness give courage and vision to go on. This is what we experienced in Glen Rose.

In Acts 3:19, Peter exhorts the gathered crowd to “repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;” the connotation is often that one has messed up and needs to start over. However, there is so much more that Peter’s exhortation calls to us. Let’s consider what we heard from the Lord while we were assembled.

First, God has a kingdom (no kidding!😆), and His desire from the foundation of the earth was to be God/King to a people who would willingly choose His Lordship. Human nature was created to depend on someone who knows more. This fact is the basis for the success of “Angie’s List.” We let strangers into our homes, our inner sanctums so to speak based upon the recommendation of someone who has experienced the work of the stranger and has subsequently referred said stranger. How much more should we return to a trust of the recommendation of our Creator? The expert in human design? The One who knows all of our coming and going? Who knows all of our sitting and standing? Who knows all of our inward thoughts? Refreshing comes when we return to our optimal operating mode in the presence of the Lord being filled with His pleasures.

So why don’t we return if it is so easy to do so? Our human (sinful) nature has two primary issues working against such a rest of faith. The law of sowing and reaping, a.k.a. the law of sin and death rules the world in which we live, and common sense. We work in order to get, in every thing. We go to work to get a paycheck, which in turn becomes the reward of our work. The value of our work is thus measured by the gratification of the reward. In other words, more money means more pleasures, more pleasures means greater reward. All of this, of course is after being responsible, paying for our own living expenses. Likewise, we praise in order to get the presence of the Lord. The more we sing, the more presence we get and greater the reward. To put it that way makes singing praise sound cheap. The truest praise and purest worship comes as a response to His presence and recognized with spontaneous adoration. Common sense will blind us to uncommon grace and truth. Common sense needs A plus B to equal C, or it will strive to make it so to the point of fighting the Lord Himself.

Second, there is a glory in God’s Kingdom that we can easily miss while caught up in what is no more than the glory of the moment. We see and experience many exciting and extraordinary events that bring us to our feet and full throat rejoicing throughout our lives. Whether it is the birth of a child or a championship sports victory, a musical performance or a scientific breakthrough, significant moments can move us as humans to great celebration and euphoria. However, in the midst of all that we readily see stands the Lamb of God as if slain, whom we can easily overlook. He alone is worthy to unlock the seals and release all that is written in the book of life. We often experience what He releases in the midst of life, but miss the fact that He is the One who did the releasing, and that just for love of us! Genuine fulfillment occurs when we embrace the Lamb and tie ourselves to Him that we may see the full glory of what He has released.

Thirdly, the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. Not because we will eventually “get it” and work it out, but rather because God is faithful. His gifts are given based on who He is. Their effectiveness is completely reliant upon our embracing the same thing, who He is.

The fellowship with the saints of Living Waters was deep and rich. We worshipped together, we studied together, we played and laughed together. We lived the abundant eternal life that Jesus promises and delivers on a daily basis. I am thankful for the privilege to be a part of their number. They love the Lord their God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength, and they love one another as themselves. The whole church embodies the spirit of uncommon hospitality that is lived and modeled by all their leaders, but especially Kevin and Wendy Cude. The church purposes every year to take this time apart to draw close to the heart of God. Their place in Hamilton, TX is their room in His house on earth together with a passion for all to enter in. The welcome mat is always present and inviting all who come to enter in, and those that do find the invitation is really from our Heavenly Father!

There are a lot of things that we can get from our walk with the Lord alone. However, there are other things that require a corporate meeting, the communion of saints for example. Another example is the deeper power of forgiveness, that which we give. Also, what good are gifts of the Spirit with no one to receive what we are giving?

I am thankful for Living Waters Christian Fellowship, Hamilton, TX who set apart time and space for some extra assembly. All who come this weekend, 18-20, will give and receive from the Lord abounding love and grace. These retreats to Glen Rose with manifold grace has been a great blessing for me and my family.

We start tonight with fellowship and worship, and will continue through Sunday morning. Food, fellowship, prayer, study, fun… life in the Spirit, shared together in this assembly.