The Signature of Jesus

""The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very act of existence is an act of rebellion." There is nothing more maddening to the world than a free man or woman in Christ Jesus. People must not look to the church to reinforce the values of their culture, or to dust off on Sunday morning the idols they have been living by during the week.

The early church was built on small groups of people who came together to support one another in a whole new way of life. These primitive communities were visable evidence of an alternative to the status quo of their culture. Today we need small bands of people who take the gospel at face value, who realize God is doing, and who are living proof of being in the world but not of the world. These "base" communities or neighborhood churches should be small enough for intimacy, kindred enough enough for acceptance, and gentle enough for criticism. Gathered in the name of Jesus, the community empowers us to incarnate in our lives what we believe in our hearts and proclaim with our lips."

-Brennan Manning The signature of Jesus

A silent Satan, A shouting God

I think our perceptions of God's voice (generally speaking of course) are due to a volume receptor in our brains that is hovering ever so slightly above mute.

Let me restate.

I think we have this backwards idea of interactions with God and antiGod in our day to day lives.

We are so quick to notice evil and so slow to notice God.

I see God yelling, not whispering. We just take his glory for less than it is, and for good reason: there is an Evil that is covertly distracting us.

Distraction is Satans largest tool in battling the people of God.

Money, clothes, sex, appearances, cars, houses, sports, video games, movies, etc... the "normal" stuff.

A different reallity is proposed. A new normal.

What about creation? What about the wind and the stars? The sky and the trees? The flowers and the bees? A human face? A puppy face? These are normal, these are glory, these show off God himself. These represent a master artist. These are normal. God wants to show us his glory, it's all around me. Look! God is not silent. We are not listening for the right voice.

Satan is quiet. He is lurking. He is waiting. He is stealthily distracting. Without being noticed he turns our eyes to lusting, our hearts to greed, our emotions to depression...

and we are lost because we think God is being silent

No.

He's screaming out goodness and glory to you.

He gives and gives.

He is good.

He is constant.

God's love never fails.

Watch the sunset tonight. Feel the breeze. Talk to God. Be still. Listen.

Kendall

Violinist.

The music was creating space for worshiping God last night. The Holy Ghost was moving powerfully.

Amidst the full sound of a large and well practiced band was a distinctive, beautiful sound. A violinist. The melody and passion were mixing together from her instrument and in turn blessing the people in the room.

As she drew her bow across the strings with masterful skill I began to tear up, God began to speak. He showed me how beautiful the sound was to him. He told me how much he was blessed by her music. This woman of God was stunningly beautiful; and the praise that came from her heart through her violin was breathtaking.

She looked to be about eighty-five.

The two electric guitars, full drum set, bassist, keys, and the vocalists had begun building the sound. Louder and louder came the praise to God. More energy.

The violinist fell into God's arms and played with the passion and vigor of someone a quarter of her age. Quick and sharp arm movements with agile fingers created a melody that brought memories to life.

Her music invoked memories from long ago in me.

Here's the thing though: They weren't my memories. They were hers. I just got to see them.

I saw a beautiful Woman, young and graceful laying in a meadow thanking God for his love. The violinist was laughing with joy at her Father who loved her so much.

As the melody changed to a somber key filled with minors, I saw her tears running down her cheeks while she stood on a hill and asked God why the pain was so prevailing.

Again the music changed to harmony that was delightfully agreeing with the larger band. The sound was beautiful and inspiring. I saw the men in her past finding such inspiration in this violinist. Her beauty extended far beyond the surface and her freedom was contagious to these men. They would fight for her. They would protect her.

Her open worship and God's blessing together let me see into her life and my tears of joy are the only expression worthy of the encounter.

Kendall

Fresh.

At my workplace we had this huge launch of a new coffee a few months ago. The pikes place blend. In all its majesty it created a wake that had a need for... shirts. Shirts advertising a coffee blend. One of the designs states simply: BOLD. The other states: FRESH. I have a friend who, to this day, loves to wear her FRESH every shift possible.

That has nothing to do with my day.

Today is Fresh and new. I breathe in this mountain air and I feel God give me something new. He is doing something new. I have seen the stars for the first time tonight in a couple months. Thank God for fresh air down here.

Our speaker is very passionate about what he has brought to camp this year. He is speaking on the fullness of Thriving in life. Living in the fullness of God.

I am living in the midst of God's love and this week is quickly becoming a staging time for my year. My year will be extraordinary.

Today is an incredible day. Enjoy a flower for me.

Rich. In the lap of luxury.

I am rich. I live in the lap of luxury.

The luxury of love.

Love everlasting. Love that is unconditional.

It's my purpose in life.

It is God's purpose for me. Just to simply be loved.

God has family, he has always had family. He knows how to love. He IS love. That is where we come in. We were created to be loved.

Today that is all I'm going to do. I will be loved. Today I look for more ways that He shows love. Today I enjoy Him. Simply enjoy my Abba. It is my highest calling and purpose. It is where the rubber meets the road.

I must live out of the center of God's love.

Kendall

There's a storm Brewing.

This has nothing to do with coffee.

I have nothing to do with coffee.

God is speaking.

...Two truths and a lie...

My Abba, and friend is becoming my lover. He is speaking daily. He is loving me. God is caring for me. Daddy is leading me. My heart has been resting. Breathing.

If i could describe the stage or season or period (whatever you want to call it) that I'm in right now, it could come down to one word: receptive

I am choosing to receive what God wants to give me daily; and that is no small care package.

I'm seeing him in the sunrises. In the sunsets. I am enjoying his beauty in the mountains.

He is constantly blessing me with gifts of scenario.

Let me explain.

I'll find myself in a forest. I find a spot. A perfect spot. It fits my body when I lay in this spot. The view is unmatched and unprecedented. The temperature of this spot is perfect. The sounds are inviting. The smells are soothing... and nobody gets to be in this scenario but me. God will give it to me like he has given some of my friends literal diamonds.

Then i am energized. I go out from the place of rest ready to function. Ready to bring heaven to earth.

Then i find another spot. A gift.

It's like my daddy has been just giving me these items, scenarios, feelings, just to support me and love me. Like a father would.

But there's change as of late.

These are becoming like my lover is giving, out of love, expecting nothing. My lover gives me a gift that takes my breath away, like an engagement ring might. My lover whispers things in my ear just to make me laugh or smile, but most of all just to be loved.

It makes me love Him back better.

Now the wind up... the coming storm... the result of the gifts...

I have had 3 separa... no... 4 separate occasions in the last two months when God has given other people specific things to tell me. All four have hit home perfectly. All I can do is listen, smile, and thank my Lover, my Daddy, my Friend.

Change... the first person tells me they are feeling major change in my near future.
Transition... the second person tells me that God says he is preparing me for a major identity fulfillment.
Morphing... the third person tells me that God is saying I am going to be triggered, set off, fired, set on fire... the result is a dead sprint for the finish line.

The fourth was a vision. A vision that i wont share with you but i will tell you what God told me through it. The person telling me this vision had zero idea what it was about but that's because it was for me not her.

It hit home today. It described a previous me. Not a bad me, not a lesser me, but a previous me. The stage/season/period that I have been in lately all put into a single verb. Out of this comes another me. A transformation.

God is brewing something in me. I can feel it. I can't identify it.

There was a storm today. A beautiful, awesome, powerful storm. This storm was passionate.

I can recognize a passion being placed in me. A passion for something that I haven't been passionate about before.

This may sound silly, but I don't know what it is, I just know that I am passionate about it.

Kendall

All creation is longing

The air outside can be described as coastal. I can feel a tinge of moisture in the air and there is a steady breeze. I love moments like this. I love moments when I feel like I can see the face and the heart of God in the conditions around me.

I see the turmoil of God's heart in the upside down landscape of the clouds.

I feel the peace of God's heart in the breeze across my patio.

I hear the tenderness and compassion of God's heart in the distant chirp of the birds.

I understand the weightiness of God's presence in the complete still moments.

I smell the fresh mercy and redemption of God's grace in the wet grass.

I am absorbed by the warmth of God's love and attention as I drink my hot tea.

I see the captivating vulnerability of God's heart as I watch my beagle rest.

I can just barely grasp the fullness of Gods strength and majesty as I look deep into the mountains.

These are the moments that energize me. The moments where God gives me a fresh breath and a new outlook; refined purpose and heightened joy. I live for the moments where God shows up in his creation. All creation is longing to be restored. God did not create an imperfect world. Satan perverted a masterpiece. All creation is longing to be restored. I am longing to be restored.

God restore me. God I want more of you. More of you God. Your restoration.

That's the papa I know and love.

Kendall