Meditations on Authority...

01/16/08

They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

(Luke 4:32)

What is that gives authority in a teaching?

It is clarity,

It is power,

It is Jesus Himself, His presence alone,

It is the power of His Word given by His Spirit, using flesh and sounds as mere instruments,

Able to penetrate in the soul and heart, as the understanding and the will of man are unveiled and unchained,

Able to command everything under His command

 

That is authority, given only by the One who holds all of it.  Given only for a purpose: Kingdom business, the revelation of the True God and His will to be fulfilled in earth, by men, through obedience, and for His glory alone. 

 

It is not given to glorify the recipient or to fulfill the recipient’s will; it is not given to create big shows or to amuse the curiosity of the ones who are looking for Jesus just for that, big miracles.

 

Often it is received in weakness and desperation… not for much prayer but for true prayer… fervent prayer, desperate prayer, even if it is expressed just with one word… ‘mercy’, ‘help’, ‘healing’, ‘freedom’...

 

Authority is not given to the big and powerful but to the meek and humble; it is not given by merits but by brokenness; it is not given to those who increase but those who decrease, those who give up their hearts to God but don’t give up on God… those who surrender all to One.

 

Authority is not given to the ones who speak much but those who listen much. Not to those who fill their days with words and crowds; with needs and service; but to those who fill their lives with quietness and compassion.  There is a balance to learn; it is the balance of prayer that speaks and listens; the balance of obedience that goes, stops, and waits because is driven by God not by man; even when that man has good intentions and great ideas.

 

There is no efficient authority in unbalanced lives because true authority does not lean in anything but God’s commands, character and desires; and God exists in perfect balance.  We must learn to overcome in Him our lack of balance; our own desires disguised as God’s desires.  We can do that – as Dr. Ed Young says – practicing and dominating the disciplines of solitude as well as the disciplines of engagement.  Solitude as quietness, prayer, fasting… engagement as study, fellowship, service.  Solitude first, engagement second; solitude to stop, engagement to start; solitude to rest, engagement to act.

 

The Giver of authority does not look or care for riches, intelligence, position or fame; He cares for a heart that is righteous - sold out to Him - because it is of this kind, the heart that will be able to stand the riches, the power and the fame of this world.  All others will stumble and fall, but the righteous will survive those riches and those other dangers in the Name of the Lord.

 

As furnace is prior to the pure gold, character is prior to authority.  It prepares and purifies the heart; it develops perseverance.  Whenever we find authority from God in the words of a man we are to acknowledge we have found God’s work.  Only God deserves all the glory and honor, and the vessel deserves our respect and consideration.  Listen carefully, consider the call, and discern the message.

Where authority is given...

1/10/08

 

Where authority is given…

 

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert…”  The desert is a strange place to be led to, a strange first destiny for somebody full of the Holy Spirit.

 

Before the amazing preaching, before the miraculous healings, and before the crowds, was the desert; and that was the will of God since His Spirit was the one leading the way. 

 

It was not either an easy way, it was not a formality in the plan… it was a long and hard test, a time of weakness and loneliness, a time of battle and temptation… the worst case scenario of a scary movie, the place to face your worst and most powerful enemy in your weakest moment; that was the desert for Jesus Christ. 

 

This time came right after a unique baptism, and right before a unique ministry… it started full of the Spirit and it ended in the power of the Spirit. 

 

Why would God command a desert after sending His own voice from Heaven to express His delight in the Son at His baptism?  Why such a low after such a high?  I believe it was a matter of authority.  We sometimes believe authority is received in big ceremonies, by laying the hands of elders in those who are to receive this authority before many witnesses.  I don’t mean elders laying hands in ministers is wrong - the Bible teaches it - What I mean the ceremonies are just a symbol, the reflection of an agreement between the Head of the Church and his Body… an expression of delight and approval in the recognition of God’s call in the life of a servant.  We also believe sometimes authority is received just as a consequence of fervent prayer and quoting Scripture…

 

I believe authority is practically received in the desert.  Given by God as the prize of victory over temptation and over the Enemy; given by God as a public mark of victory and demonstrated faithfulness in the middle of weakness, loneliness and struggle…  The battle that took place in weakness at the middle of the desert; defeated Satan with His schemes over the flesh, the soul, and even over the human spirit, which the Enemy was trying to confuse to tempt God.  The consequence of that victory was spiritual authority able to endorse a powerful ministry.

 

I know the Spirit dwells in me, but I also realize it’s me who lacks authority over certain areas of ministry...  I still don’t like deserts, but now I certainly see them differently, and I’m coming to value – as a mustard seed – the outcome that is found out of those deserts the Holy Spirit leads me in.

Build houses and settle down...

1/08/08

 

Build houses and settle down…

 

"…plant gardens and eat what they produce…” a simple instruction that is sometimes hard to obey; especially when comes in the middle of unexpected transitions or shifts of direction in our lives.  A simple mandate to live, to lay down roots, could be hard to obey when our own expectations are not considering it; when we determine that is not the right time, that is not what we want or what we need now… it may be that we believe we are just not ready, even if deep inside all of us are longing for a place to belong, for a land to call home.

Have you ever been an immigrant?

The whole meaning of the word home gets much more complex, transcending convenience, reason, and geographical places… it gets into the very heart and soul of people; it affects behaviors and emotions taking them our of the logic; it influences all people around us, especially our own families and friends.

The context of these instructions given by God through His prophet Jeremiah; is not far from my meditations since these were instructions for people in exile, who were taken by force far from Jerusalem, their homeland.  I imagine they were confused and afraid, struggling with the language, forced to work and labor in positions they did not choose.  I assume they were worried about tomorrow, about finances, about family far away, and about practical needs… I assume they were expecting a word from God, a word of deliverance, closer to their own desires; but instead of that they received instructions to settle down; to build, to plant… to live; again, a simple thing that sometimes is hard to accomplish.

God knows better than us.  His ways are higher than ours.  The more I meditate in what is required to obey instructions like these, the more I’m convinced it comes back to the main concept of maturity and growing with God… just real and practical thrust in God; just active faith in Him; and just sincere surrendering of our own desires and expectations to God; can put us in the right position to move forward… and nothing of this is possible without God’s grace, because without Him we can do nothing.  It’s one of the first times I see immigration as a potential instrument of spiritual growth. 

I have been personally instructed and challenged by God through these words at the beginning of this year.  I feel this is His mandate for me for 2008.  I don’t mean I did not choose to come and life in US, that was my choice and the gift of God’s will; but I guess I’m realizing that you can be and live in a place without really settling down there, without roots… what a sad though. 

Years ago God helped me understand that I was an immigrant in this earth; that my real home was in Heaven… I think now He is helping me understand that even as an immigrant, even having my real roots in heaven; I’m called to live a full life in this earth, to be fully present here, building and planting, since that is the only way I can be a real witness, a real testimony of His redemption in life and death; a real testimony of His redemptive mission for all creation.  His wisdom humbles me… I don’t really know anything.

This time I would like to ask you to do something – and I really wonder is somebody actually read what I write – but if there is somebody who reads, I want to ask you to do two things for me:

The first one is Kingdom oriented, comes from the realization of immigration being a potential tool of God, not just for evangelism but for growing of believers… would you make a commitment to pray this year for the millions of immigrants that God allows to come to US from many nations?  Would you ask God to use the reality of immigration for His purposes in the lives of those millions of souls?  We hear enough bad news and controversy about immigration; apart of any personal opinion you may have, would you ask God to use it for His glory?

The second thing I want to ask you to do is personal and comes from the realization that building a home and planting a garden should not be a goal to work for alone, without companion.  A house to live and a fruit to enjoy are better when you share them… a life to live is better with a partner.  If you want, and if you can, please pray for a bride for me.  May God allow me to build a home for a family and a garden to share.  A life to live in full should be complete; that is my realization; that is my desire.  Thanks in advance if you do this.

Finally, the amazing thing is that God’s instructions go even deeper and His word – as usual – has the capacity to plant the seed of hope.  He says also: “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

May we, as immigrants, learn to seek and pray for the peace and prosperity of the city where we are to be settled down.  May we become real missionaries, real agents of peace and prosperity… may our fully presence in this city be strengthened by eternal roots in Heaven and be demonstrated by practical roots in this land… may those practical roots carry a blessing in them, a blessing given by God in places far away, a blessing that helps to heal this land.