Freedom Blog

Recently, I had the opportunity to add a post at my church‘s blog which I thought would be good to share here as well.

 What does it mean to eagerly await our Savior to return? (Philippians 3:20). Albert Borgmann in his book, Technology and the Character of Everyday Life, talks about the importance of focal practices where a focal practice has “centering and orienting force” (206). When the people of God gather around the Lord’s Table, it is a focal practice where when we can, not only proclaim the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice, but also of His return (1 Corinthians 11:26). If you’re like me, sometimes it’s really easy for me to reflect so deeply upon Jesus’ death that I forget that taking the bread and cup also proclaims the truth that He is coming back. Now, if we take the time to pause and connect with our Savior through the Holy Spirit in this focal moment, I believe He will not only refresh our faith, but also draw us into the depths of His heart.

 Over the last couple weeks, I’ve really enjoyed gathering around the Lord’s Table, both as a church and in small groups. Doing this has brought to the surface of my heart the deep longing to become the family of God that I know Jesus is transforming us to be. But, in order for this to happen, it means I need to own my brokenness. If you’re like me, then you know just how hard it is to stop denying and running away from the reality that, there are times when I am just plain clumsy at life (some days more than others). But, if I am to be caught up into the family of God, I need to stop projecting the image that I’m cool or that I’ve got it all together or that I don’t need anyone. This means embracing my brokenness, so that God can begin to heal me. It’s interesting how in order to break free of something, we first have to accept it as our own, instead of living in the denial of embarrassment by telling ourselves, “Oh that’s not me,” or “I don’t do that.” When we do this we reject the reality that we even need healing.

 The Lord’s Supper is a focal practice in which the very act of gathering around the Lord’s Table to take the bread and cup centers and orients us towards both Jesus’ sacrifice and His return. To broaden this a bit, Borgmann also talks about how the “great meal of the day, be it noon or in the evening, is a focal event par excellence. It gathers the scattered family around the table (204).”

I don’t know about you, but the fast food, “eat on the go” culture that we live in only perpetuates the scatteredness of my own life. And in many ways reinforces my relational disconnectedness because I am eating alone more and more. Now food plays a very important role in our lives. Eating is essential to human existence and is woven into the very rhythm of life. Not only does life happens around food, but most relationships begin, grow and deepen around eating. In a lot of cultures, most fellowship happens when people eat together. Eating together opens up opportunities for meaningful conversations to happen. Part of doing life together means eating together.

 That’s why I believe it is so important, if the people of God are to truly begin living as the family of God that we gather regularly around the Lord’s Table, as well as around the fellowship table to share more than just a meal with one another, but our very lives. Now, this means acknowledging each other’s brokenness, but also extending to each other as much grace as needed in order to overcome the dysfunction and awkward tension. It means taking a chance and beginning the journey down the road to be fully known and fully loved in which each table gathering can be a moment where we propel each other deeper into the loving spiritual community that the Holy Spirit is building for the glory of Christ. Though the meal may be the focal practice, we must always remember that: ultimately, it is Jesus who gathers His scattered family around His Table.

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Wow, I’m really exicted about the response to 4:20 Prayer so far. What really warms my heart is that people from all over are getting involved. The more this happens, the more I feel like “yeah, this can happen, together, we can really begin to make a difference in the lives of millions of people who are right now struggling to find hope.” Sure, it’s a monumental task, but I find comfort in this because it forces me to press that much harder into Jesus.

Now, the more experience that I gain in working with those struggling with addictions the more I am convinced that, sure counseling is good, as is mentoring, as is teaching life skills and acts of genuine kindness and compassion. But, at the end of the day, the bottom line is: God needs to move powerfully in their lives. God is the One who transforms lives by the power of His Word and Spirit as He raises up for Himself worshippers of Spirit and Truth (John 4:23).

The more that God gives me the opportunity to love and care for people, the more I am convinced of this. Transformation happens when God’s Truth and Life are spoken into a person’s life. If the people of God are to truly follow in our Lord’s footsteps in preaching good news to the poor,  proclaiming freedom for the captives and the oppressed and healing for the sick  (Luke 4:19). Then we need to ask God for a deeper sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and accept the cost for this sensitivity.

It may mean cutting out some of the noise in our lives. It may even mean tuning out some of the other voices in our lives. It may also mean drastically simplifying our lifestyles. Whatever it may be, I believe the cost is worth it. Think about it, to be able to impact a life for all eternity. Is there any greater satisfaction? Can there be any greater joy? Save finally embracing Jesus face to face. We have to live our lives from an eternal perspective. It’s when we don’t that the cost becomes too great.

So, begin asking God to bless you with a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. If things need to change in your life in order for you to receive this sensitivity, then ask God to begin moving you into a place of surrender and submission. As He does this, cling to Jesus with all you got and never lose sight of the goal at the end of this journey: that through you, Christ would be glorified in eternally transformed and redeemed lives.

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Over the past 10 years, God has taken me on a pretty amazing spiritual journey. But, in reality it has been more than just a spiritual journey because my whole life has also been transformed. It all began the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ. On that day, Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into me and the way that I saw the world was forever changed. Life became more real because the missing spiritual dimension of life came alive to me. The way that I experienced life changed because the Holy Spirit became the driving force in my life. I learned to live, move and have my being in Him and began to see the world from an eternal perspective.

Since that day 10 years ago, God has been untangling my heart from the drug lifestyle that was my comfort zone. Drugs were my security in life. Now, it has been a knock down drag out fight to break me free, but it is truly only by God’s amazing grace that am I living a drug-free life with a bright future ahead of me. But, very early on in my faith journey, God let me know that He had bigger plans for me than to be just another productive member of society.

Over these last 10 years God has been showing the importance of walking at all times in the strength of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now this has been a huge challenge in and of itself because nobody likes to admit that they are in constant need of help. My pride fought every step of the way. But, God was patient and kind with me. Everyday He purposefully moved me forward on this rocky road of redemption as He purified my heart and mind of all my twisted perversions and selfish aspirations. 

Fast forward to today. I feel like I’m coming to a new juncture in my faith journey. I feel like an explorer who has come to the edge of the civilized world and is now looking out across a vast unknown land. But, even so, the Spirit of God who dwells within me is reminding me that God is with me, that He will never forsake me and that I need to be strong and courageous. The Word He is bringing to mind are God’s words to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 2:9). This is a good reminder that: it’s not about me trying to do all this on my own, but about embracing my weakness, and leaning on God’s strength to help me endure the many coming hardships.

So, I am filled with both a little bit of anxiety mixed with a whole lot of excitement as I take on this endeavor to make a difference in this world for Jesus by prayerfully standing in the gap for those who are in bondage to addiction. I feel like this 420 Prayer Movement is a gift from the Lord to me that touches the very depths of my heart, the very depths that God entered into with His loving light and powerful truth in order to redeem and restore me from my own addictions. But, it’s more than just a passion. It’s a calling that God has placed on my life. Overall,  I am filled with the hope that comes from knowing the truth of the Gospel and the light of Christ. Soli Deo Gloria. 

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