Awakening our Vision of God
As you read these verses, allow them to open your eyes to the wonder and awe of our God. Ask God to stun you and to overwhelm our fellowship with the magnitude of His presence.
Day 6 2/4/11
Revelation 5.6 – 14
A couple of years ago, a conference speaker (it may have been Francis Chan) shared an incredible message. He talked about Revelation 3 and the description of the Church at Laodicea. You can read Rev 3.14 – 22 and catch the flavor of the moment more fully. In a nutshell, they weren’t doing very well. They were self-focused and mediocre and extremely RICH in the things that have little to no eternal value and, in the midst of all of that description of spiritual abyss, Jesus stands knocking at their door.
He says, IF you will open the door and IF you will let me in and IF you will repent of your life-less, focus-less, purpose-less, and wretched walk, I will step into the midst of your life and I will open the doors of heaven and fill you with a relentless passion for a life that counts. Check out v.21…
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I have overcome and sat down with my Father on His throne. – Revelation 3.21
I am not a rocket-scientist, so it takes me awhile to connect dots and thoughts from Scripture. But, what John (the author of The Book of Revelation) just typed was totally insane. He said that chapter 3 and chapters 4 & 5 of the Book of Revelation are connected. To those who overcome… overcome what? Mediocrity. Self Focus. Lack of God-vision. Being rich toward self rather than rich toward God. To those who invite Jesus into the very essence of their lives and who allow Him to be life….. to them, He gives the right to sit with Him on the throne.
Now, chapters 4 & 5 describe the throne. It is quite a majestic experience. On that throne and in the middle of this cataclysmic worship-fest is Jesus. There is raging, impassioned, abounding worship toward Him and it flows from every tribe and tongue and nation and people and those on earth and under earth and all created things and colors and grandeur and things that we have never seen and elements (lightning and thunder)…. All of that goes OFF in worship of and for Christ. It’s a pretty mind-boggling scene!
We are invited to sit in the middle of that Jesus-Fest, not because we become a part of the focus, but because we have come to realize that there is only ONE focus on this planet and it is a life focused on and given for Christ.
To them that overcome…….. Pray that you will shun mediocrity and self-absorption and live fixed on Christ. Pray for a church whose hearts are fixed on Him. Awaken!
Kari Jobe will be leading us in worship during The Awakening. She sings a magnanimous song entitled Revelation Song. Take a few moments to worship, enjoy, and consider the throne. Maybe, just maybe you will be given the right to sit with Him on the throne. I can only imagine…..
If the video doesn’t work, then click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0nDrEYDnk
Day 5 2/3/11
Psalm 63
A Psalm from the Desert
In this Psalm, David uses interesting words to describe his heart toward God and pursuit of God. Read and consider His descriptions….
…Earnest Pursuit
…With Thirst
…Longing for Him
…Beheld Him
…Satisfied in Him
…Remember Him
…Think of Him
…Through the Watches of the Night (I will stay up all night in pursuit of You, O God!)
…Cling to Him
…Upheld by Him
In this Psalm, David shares of a holy desperation for God. He longs to awaken to the reality of the character and wonder of God. He pursues Him, with abandon, with the hope of catching a glimpse of God and experiencing Him.
What about you? What words would describe your passion for seeing or experiencing God? Honestly, I don’t like the words that come to mind as I type. Words that describe my pursuit are not words of desperation. Yet, I KNOW what and who I want to become. I know that I long to constantly, earnestly, longingly, thirstily, and thoughtfully seek after our God.
So, what words describe your pursuit of God? An awakening of your soul to a God-centered life hinges upon your answer.
David’s answer is found in Psalm 63.2 – 4….
I have seen You in your sanctuary
and beheld Your glory.
Because Your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify You.
I will praise You as long as I live,
and in Your name I will lift up my hands.
Today is a phenomenal day to awaken to your current pursuit of God. And, more importantly, what you will do and who you will become as you determine to seek Him with all your heart. According to the Psalm 63, there is deep joy and satisfaction when we seek Him and find Him!
Seek…. Awaken… Live!
Day 4 2/2/11
Psalm 113
The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God? – Psalm 113
He is…. Glorious and Beautiful… Exalted and Magnified
He is…. Sovereign and Powerful… Creative and Unchanging
He is….Eternal and Faithful….Present and Mighty
He is….Great and Merciful… Awesome and Peaceful
He is….Grace and Truth….. Hope and Promise
He is…. Powerful and Patient…. Healer and Redeemer
Who is like the Lord our God?
He is our way and truth and life and friend and brother and shepherd and rescue and light and door and salvation and hope and promise and past and present and future and judge and priest and king and Lord and rescuer and advocate and passion and purpose and ALL. HE IS!
Who is like the Lord our God?
He is omniscient. He is omnipotent. He is omnipresent. He is INTIMATE!
Who is like the Lord our God?
He is Savior.
He has regard for His children.
He is might.
He is power.
He has done great things.
He has mercy on those who fear and awe Him.
He scatters the proud.
He dethrones the mighty.
He exalts the humble.
He satisfies the hungry.
Who is like the Lord our God?
His love, none can fathom. Give effort as you attempt to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. (It is your hope that you may) know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3.14 – 20
Who is like the Lord our God?
18 Days is a united journey into the depths of that question. WHO is like the Lord our God? There is none like Him. There is none before Him. There are none above Him. He will stand over eternity as the King of Glory. He is God. He is our God. He is good and His love endures forever.
As Paul prayed in Ephesians 3, so I pray for you. Seek to discover the depths of the character of your God. You cannot plumb the depths, but go for it anyway. Dive in. Go deep. Discover and live in wonder of your awesome God.
Who is like the Lord our God?!?
A great pastor preached a great message about a great God. Click on the video and consider His words about our King… WHO is like the Lord our God?
18 Days…Awaken!
Day 3 2/1/11
Colossians 1.15-20
18 Days…. As we ask God for an Awakening, we are asking Him to broaden our view of Him and to allow us a taste of His magnitude. This 18 Day journey can be a lot of things. Perhaps we will unite in prayer… become more intent in purpose… enjoy a fresh taste of the goodness of God… deepen in our personal walk with Christ…. enliven our hope for our faith family… and, a myriad of other possibilities.
Today, however, is a day that leads us to the apex of our hope for this 18 Day journey. The verses from Colossians point toward One Savior… One leader…One redeeming hope.. One Passion… One purpose….. One leader of the church. As we read, pray, and align our lives with the Word today, we come face to face with the reality that Jesus Christ is, and must be, the supreme and consummate desire of our souls. There is none like Him. There is none but Him. There is no one or no ‘thing’ that compares to Him. He is……. HE IS!
A simple, yet profound thought from Colossians – All things were created by Him and all things are for Him. You and I are created and purposed on this planet for the glory, name, and renown of God. We have the thrill of spending our lives in order that He is made famous. I am not sure that truth remotely reflects the trail of my life investment. As I look at the use of my possessions and time and hopes and dreams, I don’t find that I spend myself with the focused desire that Jesus be the sole famous One on this planet. I seek my own fame. I seek small goals and selfish ambitions. I tend to lean toward ‘me’ and away from ‘His glory’.
Yet, all of life and all of eternity will point to one great name. The name of JESUS will echo as the refrain of eternity. I know that to be biblically true. I want that to be practically true as the practice of my own life today. I want to live and move in a fellowship of Believers who know this to be true and who compel me to live for His fame. It makes sense that my life and the life of our church join in that echo…NOW.. today… in this moment. As we venture through 18 Days and as we prepare for an Awakening, perhaps we are invited to Awaken to the reality that there must be one famous One in our midst. As we prepare for an Awakening, then we must awaken to the hope, promise, and passion that we hold in Christ. Christ supreme… Christ alone… nothing less.
Colossians 1.20 is the compelling verse for the supremacy of Christ in our lives and in our church. His shed blood brings peace and salvation and hope and life. The gospel soaks the Believer in the glorious gospel found in the blood of Christ. We are cleansed and made whole and given promise and share in an eternal hope through the reconciling work of Christ on the cross. Thank you, God, for the cross; for the work of the cross and the hope in the Cross. As the cross stands over all things, may our hearts cry of your supremacy and Your name. Jesus – our famous One!
Kari Jobe will lead us in worship in a few days. Take a few moments and listen to the below song and ponder the power of the cross. 18 Days… Awaken!!
If you can’t view from our site, click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcG807YGsfY
Day 2 1/31/11
Isaiah 6.1-8
Honestly, there are a hundred things that you could see in this life-changing passage of Scripture. Feel free to read this passage several times throughout the day. Marinate in the description of Isaiah’s seeing God in a VASTLY more significant way. Be amazed by the impact of this new view of God on the life of Isaiah. For the sake of this writing, there is a simple facet of this story that blew up Isaiah and forever marked his life. It would be impossible to tackle all of the nuances of Isaiah 6. So, let’s focus on one thought.
In verse 1, Isaiah is rolling into worship with zero expectations. In fact, it would be safe to say that his expectation level was in the negative realm. The King was dead. His hopes were shattered. Life was not the same. And, in steps Isaiah into a moment that would forever shape His life and purpose. “In the year that King Uzziah died…..” This story is NOT about Uzziah. This story is not about when Uzziah died. This story is about a glorious God who shattered Isaiah’s life and left him broken before a holy God. This story is about a man who was lifted up by a God of grace and who, as a result, willingly spent his life for the sake of that glorious God. So, what is the significance of this being ’the year that Uzziah died’?
Isaiah loved Uzziah, but that is not the point. Isaiah wanted to remember Uzziah, but that is not the point. Uzziah’s death was a marker…. A moment in time when Isaiah would never be the same. Uzziah’s death was a moment that God chose to use to AWAKEN Isaiah to Himself. In the midst of a massive life-crisis, God revealed Himself and His life to Isaiah…. And Isaiah exploded! He was marked for the rest of His days.
God takes our highest moments AND our lowest moments. God takes our everyday moments and our surreal moments and He allows those moments to become AWAKENING moments to Himself and His purposes and His ways. There is no way to know where you are, in life, as you make your way through this passage. Just know this…. God loves and longs to explode your view of Him! He is on edge, just waiting for you to say, let me see You for who You are, O God!
How about ,instead of ‘In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord….’ How about this for the Valley view faith – family? “On Day 2 of the Awakening, I…….” Yeah, let’s allow God to finish that sentence as we ask for an ever increasing view of Him TODAY. May God mark our lives for His glory on this day and may our personal journey in Him and may our church never be the same.
In the year of the Awakening…..
Day 1 1/30/11
2 Chronicles 7.1 – 3….. 18 Days is a journey. 18 Days is a hope. 18 days is a church asking God to move in our midst as never before. 18 Days is preparation for The Awakening. 18 Days IS an awakening. We are asking God to awaken us to Himself, His purposes, and His ways. Through the first six days, we want to expand our vision of Him. It is impossible for us to make our God bigger. It is, however, completely possible for us to increase our view of Him and to enlarge our understanding of Him and to expand our hope in Him. It is our desire to launch 18 days with a united and singular prayer. ‘Allow us to see You, O God, for who You are!’
Today’s reading is ridiculous! The people of God have built a temple for God. They are ready and longing for God to indwell their presence. They prepare. They fast. They pray. They seek. They sing. They hold a holy desperation in the depths of their soul for more God. These people rend their hearts before God and they confess their brokenness and their sin. They are intense in their preparation. Solomon’s prayer in the latter part of chapter 6 is so fresh. But, what happens in the first few verses of chapter 7 are overwhelming. As they prepare to enter this newly built temple and to experience a typical worship, they gain a wholely new and abounding view of God. They can’t walk into the new place….God has invaded. His presence abounds. All they can do is fall on their faces in awe of Him and a beautiful song flows from their lips.
He is good. He is good. His love endures! It is our prayer, as we enter an 18 Day journey of prayer, that God do something so fresh and mighty among us that we have nothing to explain Him or us. Let us pray and seek. Let us fast and confess. Let us prepare and hope. Then, may we be completely stunned by the vastness, wonder, and awe that we have found in our God and that He displays for us..
The below song is written with this 2 Chronicles moment as it’s heartbeat. Enjoy. Pray these verses over and through you and into the very heart of our fellowship. Feel free to comment by clicking on the button below.
