Transformative light

The radiance of Christ's glory has power to transform us into His image. 

2 Corinthians 3:17‭-‬18 NIV

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Perhaps, that is why Jesus told Martha that Mary had made the better choice.  The sanctification of our hearts and minds is a process as we submit ourselves to see Him and hear Him (i.e., contemplating His glory).

Romans 12:2a

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

And that is why the enemy tries to keep a veil over the unbelievers' eyes - to keep them from seeing and experiencing the transforming power of the radiance of His glory.

2 Corinthians 4:1‭, ‬3‭-‬4‭, ‬6 NIV

1 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ... 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ... 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

The radiance of God's glory through Christ is lossless (2 Cor 4:4,6 and Heb 1:3):  

Hebrews 1:3 NIV

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, ...

And to the extent that we "do not distort the word of God", and we "set forth the truth plainly" (2 Cor 4:2), God's glory radiates through our Gospel message.

So, an analogy/metaphor that Holy Spirit gave me this morning: as physical light (i.e., electromagnetic radiation and nuclear radiation) has energy and momentum (i.e., power to affect/transform what it impacts; e.g., visible or UV light, or alpha, beta, or gamma, etc.), and as the fundamental quantum of electromagnetic radiation energy is the photon, so every time we tell the Gospel message of Jesus's love, we are radiating "photons" of Christ's glory into people's minds by way of their ears.  And when we demonstrate His goodness and power through good deeds, we are radiating nuclear radiation by way of their eyes.

And "since through God's mercy we have this ministry" of irradiating the transforming power of Alpha-Omega radiation, "we do not lose heart" because we are fueled by an endless supply of spiritual-nuclear power.  And as nuclear radiation causes a chain reaction, so we are making disciples (spiritual-nuclear radiators) of all nations.

Father, you amaze me! You are so good! Please shine your glory through me today!  May I be faithful to sit in the radiance of the Son today, and may I faithfully irradiate others.  I want to glow with your glory.  Holy Spirit, I commit to follow you today. I love you!

Focus on the flux, not the deficit

As an Enneagram Type One Perfectionist, I tend to be frustrated by the broken or deficient aspects of the world.

I need to come to terms with the reality that, as a disciple of Jesus, I am part of the restoration, but I am neither the Judge nor the Solution.

In gas-liquid mass transfer calculations, the flux (J) is a simple function of the mass transfer coefficient (k) and the concentration deficit from saturation (Csat - Cactual):

J = k (Csat - Cactual)

As a perfectionist, as you see the way things ideally should be if the Heavenly Kingdom reality was fully saturated on the earth, you have to be careful not to focus on the deficit. While the concentration deficit is "the driving force" for flux, focusing on the deficit lends itself towards operating in legalism as a modern Pharisee.

Somehow, I need to embrace the "now and not yet" of the age of grace.

And certainly, I need to focus on the flux side of the equation.  I need to see myself as a liberator and reformer.  Of course, I can't completely ignore the deficit; it is part of who God has made to be.  But I need to  flux that I want to see in the world, not be a herald of the deficit.

So, I need to partner with the Lord to continue increasing the magnitude of my mass transfer coefficient so that I can facilitate a greater flux of His Kingdom.

Father, help me focus on you and your movement, not on the brokenness of this world.  I love you.

Cul-de-sac Ekklesia

I was recently encouraged by a teaching about how Jesus used the Greek word, ἐκκλησία (ekklesia, translated as "church") to describe the gathering/assembly of disciples of Jesus.  

Here is the general definition of the Greek word: "a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly".  Since our home is Heaven, and we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, anywhere we are together on earth, we are an ekklesia.

In Matt 18:20, Jesus said, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

Fundamentally, the family unit is an ekklesia, and Jesus is with us.  I am trying to be more intentional about conciously thinking of Brandi and our kids as an ekklesia (church).

As I was walking up our hill after a run this morning, I realized that our next door neighbors are such an amazing blessing, because their family is an ekklesia and our family is an ekklesia, so our two homes adjacent to each other in the cul-de-sac make an ekklesia of ekklesias! We are an outpost of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus is abiding in our cul-de-sac!

Father, thank you for invading the earth with your Kingdom.  Jesus, we praise you as King!  Thank you for your presence. Holy Spirit, move among us in miraculous power! 

Hebrew words that tranalate to "praise"

As I was reading Psalm 103 this morning, I was curious about the difference between "bless" and "praise", and I found these articles:

https://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2017/10/hebrew-words-for-praise/

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/8-hebrew-words-for-praise-every-christian-needs-to-know.html

It is sad to see that there is actually such a spectrum of specificity that is essentially lost in translation into English.

Heavenly Father, I want to praise you in all the specific ways that Scripture describes.  May my life be vibrant and continuous worship for you.  I love you.

He chose me

1 Peter 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Apostle Peter used the identity that Jesus gave him.  He did not introduce himself as "Simon".  I am a new creation in Christ Jesus.

I am one of God's elect.  He chose me according to His foreknowledge.  He saw me, and he wanted me to be part of His family.  He wanted me to be His son.  It was not by random chance that I am part of the family of faith.

We discussed this passage yesterday in our church gathering, and I don't remember seeing it this way before.  And I suppose that God wanted me to soak on it a bit more since the same passage was in my daily reading this morning.

I want to meditate on this truth throughout the day.  I want to participate in this loving family through bedience and sanctification because of His great love.

Father, thank you for wanting me.  Thank you for choosing me.  Thank you for loving me.  I love you because you first loved me. Holy Spirit, please guide me into a greater appreciation of this incredible truth that the Father wanted me in his family.  Jesus, thank you for making a way for me to be part of your family.  I love you.

Happiness is correlated with joyfulness

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

Psalms 68:3 NIV

I grew up in a church culture that valued solemnity and silence. There is certainly a place for solemnity and silence in disciple's life (e.g., fasting, solitude, etc.), but based on a preponderance of evidence in the Scriptures, I think expressions of joy and happiness are stronger indicators of the presence of Holy Spirit and the zoe life.  Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit, and happiness is correlated with joy.

Father, I want to be a happy and joyful person, not from external hedonistic experiences, but from a spring of living water that flows from within.  Father, please show me your happiness and joy.  I want to be with you and emulate your character.  I love you.