A Personal Revelation

Somewhere between "Aha!" and "Duh!"

Last week I shared more personally. This is the promised follow up.

These articles will always be about the church doing ministry with victims of the Sexual Tsunami. But I’ve sensed for a while the need for this tsunami surfer to go deeper in my own walk with God. That personal pilgrimage is exceeding my expectations, especially now that I am discovering new rhythms in my devotional life.

Those I’ve counseled in the past have been amazed at how God has touched them when I’ve positioned them in the healing presence of Jesus. Even two weeks ago, a young woman felt God healed her from her compulsion toward sexual liaisons. Praise God! But I long for a greater anointing from God and for an army of surfers plunging into this vast chaos.

Certainly, we are not to seek more power. The proper focus is seeking more of God. But as I described last week, I’ve been wrestling with a few scriptures and praying into them very intentionally. After all, there is a promise from Jesus that his followers would experience the “greater things” once his church received the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. (John 14:12—14 NRSV, emphasis mine)

There’s the promise! Greater things! But why do we fall so far short, especially when the needs of a broken world are so very astronomical?

As described last week, Paul stated plainly that in Christ we have already received the fullness of God by being seated in Christ in the heavens (Col. 2:9—10). He prayed constantly that the Ephesian believers would come to experience that fullness right here on earth. How would this happen? By grasping, comprehending, and knowing the depths of “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:19 NRSV). And he plainly states the power of God at work within us can accomplish this. The unknowable can be known.

So how?

Thirteen months ago, it seemed God was clearly calling me to meditate on scripture. Some weeks I’ve done better than others, but I truly have been seeking to muse upon God’s word, especially upon the passages from Paul referred to above. How do we know or comprehend the love of Christ? How does this lead to being filled with all the fullness of God? If I quieted my heart and surrendered my entire being, would my soul be infused with the love of Jesus? Would I experience a surge of his holiness?

As I waited in prayer, I kept getting flashes of the feet of Jesus nailed to the cross. Moments later, I had glimpses of blood flowing down his legs. Eventually, there were images of his right hand nailed to the cross and then an arial view of the thorns that had been thrust down into his skull.

As I absorbed this slide show of the crucifixion, I began to wonder if soon I would experience something from God—the longed for Holy Spirit charge that would let me know I’ve been filled to all God’s fullness.

Then I finally realized what was happening. These little visions of his feet, hands, and crown were God’s revelation to me of the love of Christ! I was in the midst of comprehending and knowing that very love of Christ! Wow!

OK, that’s the insight which landed somewhere between “Aha!” and “Duh!”

Of course! Calvary was the turning point of all history. The incredible incarnation of the Son of God who emptied himself of the privileges of heaven, took upon himself human flesh, and obeyed the Father to the point of an agonizing humiliation and death—that is the love of Christ!

It is that very love that we celebrate and re-experience each time we approach the Lord’s Table. It is the tangible remembrance of and experience of the very presence of the One who exemplified the “no-greater-love” which lays itself down for one’s friends.

That next Sunday, I sensed the presence of God in worship so very clearly. I went to the altar during the singing and simply positioned myself before this loving God. When it was time to come forward for communion by intinction, I was first in line. While waiting for the communion server to open his eyes from prayer, I looked at the loaf he held, noticing an air pocket on the edge of the gluten free bread. It reminded me of the pierced hand of our Lord. When he offered the bread, I firmly tore off that edge piece, as the server stated, “The Body of Christ broken for you, Mark.”

Was I zapped with the fullness of God in that moment? No, but I had enough of a taste to see that the Lord is good!

March 5th is Ash Wednesday. How incredibly wise the historical church has been to set aside these forty days to prepare our hearts for Holy Week. More than at any other time in my life, I am looking forward to this Lenten season as I prepare my heart to more fully comprehend this love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge. I am placing my faith in this God who, “by the power at work within [me] is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all [I] can ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20 NRSV).

May your hearts also be on this pilgrimage to know Christ. And during Lent, may glimpses come your way of the breadth, length, height, and depth of this incredible love.