Isaiah 57:14-59:21
Their God was too small. They thought he was a monkey who you could feed a nut and then he would dance. They thought he was a dog whose jowls you could rub and he would roll over and be good. They didn’t realise they were the monkey, that they had to roll over and be good. So they chucked God a few token gestures and Isaiah roasts them for it. And, as I read this, I’m feeling slightly convicted. Do I actually loose the chains of injustice? Do I actually share my food with the hungry? Am I open to strangers and try to help them - maybe not clothing them or feeding them but showing care to them and bringing them love? This is not about whether I think these are good things to do. This is not whether I would nod and agree when someone tells me they are doing it. This is actually challenging me to do it. I need to cut out a portion of my week and a part of my income and to save a bit of my energy to care for the poor. What am I doing for the global poor? What am I doing for the 2 billion whose lives are blighted by poverty. What am I doing for the people who live in South-West London who are lonely or depressed or racked with illness? Am I living the kind of life that God has chosen for me? I want my healing to quickly appear. I want the glory of the Lord to be my rearguard. O Spirit, you do not depart from me so please help me get this right.
Ephesians 3:1-21
This wide and long and high and deep love of Jesus that surpasses knowledge - what does it actually do? First up it fills us with the measure of the fulness of God. That sounds pretty good. I wouldn’t mind a bit of that for my friends and family and my church. That is a profound and deeply valuable thing to pray for ourselves. Secondly the love of Jesus brings diversity into the church. It brings people from all sorts of backgrounds and welcomes them and gives them equal status. And this diversity and equality displays the manifold wisdom of God to the world. I think we are pretty good at this in the Vineyard. I think we are pretty good at letting everyone play - letting everyone have a go at praying for others and discipling others and doing good to others. And thirdly the love of God ultimately leads to Jesus getting glory in the church. The love of God displays God’s ability to do so much more than we could ever ask or imagine and causes everyone to say “heck, that Jesus is impressive”. So the love of Jesus builds up the church and brings more worship to God. I think we need to cling to this like a limpet. Jesus’ love is not just some random emotion that helps everyone feel good about themselves - it is the expression of his dynamic and powerful nature pursuing his passion for his bride and celebrating the awesomeness of his own self. And we get caught up in it. The love of God is like a tsunami that surges towards us whisking us off our feet and carrying us - along with every brother and sister in Christ across this globe - and draws us into holiness, towards love for one another, towards the constant, unstoppable worshipping of His Name.
Psalm 111:1-10
To him belongs eternal praise.
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