Mystery and Intrigue

Everyone likes a good mystery. Actually, there are few things like the intrigue of mystery that grabs your attention and begrudgingly holds on until there is revelation or understanding. That is really one of the main reasons I love being a child of God. God is the best crafter, writer and teller of mystery I know. He makes 'mystery' cool and intriguing.
Here is what he means by ‘mystery’ in His Word: “something not understood or even beyond understanding; a spiritual truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand…an exciting wonder”. If you don’t accept much of His story as being a mystery waiting to unfold before the amazement and wonder of your eyes; your journey will likely be somewhat frustrating.
Think about the following mysteries which he allowed to be known only in the fullness of his time. How many could grasp the birth of a baby in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes? The intrigue of this birth was only perceived by a handful with the faith to receive it; yet countless millions have celebrated that birth through the centuries. The unwrapping of that mystery brought a Savior to all mankind.
Then consider the mystery of faith itself. Paul told Timothy that leaders of Christianity would need to lay hold of the deep mysteries of the faith. He defined faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of what can’t be seen. Now, if that isn’t mystery then I don’t know what is? Countless men, women, and children have given their lives to Jesus Christ; never having seen him—yet staking their all that he is Lord and Savior!
By the mystery of faith, I am in love with Jesus, whom I have seen only with the eyes of my heart and the evidence he leaves everywhere my physical eyes look. Because of the mystery that is faith; I will live and die for the “One” who came, lived, died, raised from the dead and now is ever interceding for me at his Father’s right hand of majesty. Countless millions have and countless others will!
One of the yet least discovered mysteries is the Body of Christ and how his Papa works the mystery of his will through us. Though we are separated by centuries, race, culture and socio-economic status; we are “one” in Him. Each part of his body is unique in calling and grace gifts, but the same under the headship of Christ. “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” Eph 1:9, NIV. When we truly ‘act’ like the body of Christ we most powerfully show forth the mystery of God’s great love to the world.
May we grab hold of the mysteries that are yet ours to discover and experience in Christ. The more we set our hearts to the intrigue that is Papa’s joy to reveal, the more we will be drawn into his wondrous story and message. “Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ…” Colossians 4:3, NIV.
In the grip of Papa’s mysteries of grace, Ron Ross

True North

True North!

What an exhilarating journey is love! We are carefully woven into the Agape of Father's heart. Our attempts at love fall short, but His love in and through us is more than enough in every conceivable way! Live like you love-love and facilitate love's passion. He is totally into Agape! One has only to remember and know Calvary to progressively appreciate Papa’s love through Jesus, applied by their Holy Spirit. Following are a few of His thoughts concerning His kind of love.  

              
1 Corinthians 13:1 Speaking in tongues is not the point; love is. It is neither angelic eloquence, nor the mastery of human language that persuades. It doesn’t matter how poetic, prophetic, or profound I may sound; my conversation is reduced to the hollow noise of clanging brass cymbals if love’s echo is absent. (The Greek word for the love of God is agape from the word, agoo, meaning to lead like a shepherd guides his sheep, and pao, meaning to rest, i.e. “he leads me beside still waters.” By the waters of reflection my soul remembers who I am. [Ps 23]. God’s rest is established upon his image and likeness redeemed in us. Thus, to encounter agape is to remember who I am. Jesus the Savior of humankind rescued God’s image and likeness in human form. The grace of God shines as bright as day making the salvation of humankind undeniably visible [Titus 2:11].)
13:2 I could predict the future in detail and have a word of knowledge for everyone. I could possess amazing faith, and prove it by moving mountains! It doesn’t make me any more important than anyone else. Love is who you are! You are not defined by your gift or deeds. (Love gives context to faith. Moving mountains is not the point, love is.)
13:3 Love is not about defending a point of view; even if I am prepared to give away everything I have and die a martyr’s death; love does not have to prove itself by acts of supreme devotion or self sacrifice!
13:4 Love is large in being passionate about life and relentlessly patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others with kindness. Love is completely content and strives for nothing. Love has no desire to make others feel inferior and has no need to sing its own praises.
13:5 Love is predictable and does not behave out of character. Love is not ambitious. Love is not spiteful and gets no mileage out of another’s mistakes. (The word, paroxuno, translates as spiteful, it has no sharp edges.)
13:6 Love sees no joy in injustice. Love’s delight is in everything that truth celebrates.
13:7 Love is a fortress where everyone feels protected rather than exposed! Love’s persuasion is persistent! Love believes. Love never loses hope and always remains constant in contradiction. (Mirror Bible)

The Agape Road The perspective of Bob Mumford reveals what I feel is a key to allowing you to be overtaken by the Agape of Father’s Love. “During my years of illness, the Lord entrusted to me a precious, life-changing revelation of His agape nature and the self-referential nature of eros. Much of my illness was due to toxic levels of lead and mercury in my system. I began to see this as a prophetic sign of toxic eros (self-referential) in the Body of Christ! In the book I explain the difference between the four faces of love and how to get out of the eros prison. Most importantly, The Agape Road teaches us how to abide in our journey to intimacy with the Father. In our fifty years, Judith and I have never known such a freedom in the kingdom as we are now experiencing on the Agape Road!”

I too am on this journey from the self-referential prison I was in for much of my life to the Agape of intimacy enjoyed through/in Jesus’ gift of sharing His relationship with His Father. The well-spring of Agape is Father’s heart! But, you can’t get there through your efforts. Only Jesus can get us to the Glorious Passion and Intimacy of Father’s heart. Calvary is the evidence that Father’s love is the motive of their pursuit of mankind! Hear Matthews account of our struggle and ‘Their’ provision.

12 For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God's kingdom. 13 But if you read the books of the Prophets and God's Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. 14 Looked at in this way, John is the 'Elijah' you've all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah. 15 "Are you listening to me? Really listening? 16 "How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, 17 'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.' 18 John came fasting and they called him crazy. 19 I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riff-raff. Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

20 Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way. 21 "Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. 22 At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you. 23 And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. 24 At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you."

25 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly too ordinary people. 26 Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work." 27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

How about you? Are you ‘tired’ and ‘worn’ out be self-referential attempts to love and be loved? Again, it’s simple enough for a child-embrace where the love of Jesus will take you.

Ron Ross

Heart Life-Nurture for the Heart

What are the key indicators of physical life? Heart rate, the pressure that blood is being pumped by the heart to every cell and the rate of oxygen being mixed and carried by that blood is considered to be our ‘vitals’. The reading of these vitals is the first protocol of being diagnosed well and alive. Just as the state of our heart is vital to maintaining physical life the condition of our spiritual heart is the key indicator of having true spiritual life.

Jesus described the beginning of spiritual life as being ‘born again’ (John 3). And that re-birth is literal; in an instant, completely unnoticed by our physical senses we are entirely r foremade. Everything about us is transformed; our thinking, our knowing, our will, our emotions, our reacting, our relational reality and our understanding, even to the level of our DNA (Divine Nature Added) is remade. This transformation begins at the moment we are Born Again and continues/matures as we walk with Jesus by his Holy Spirit.

Also as a direct result of our transformation in Christ; God knowing the desperate condition of our core—our heart, has given us a gift that cannot be overstated—a new heart. “I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I'll give you a new heart; put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed. I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27, Msg)

This new heart enables us to live a life beyond our wildest hopes and dreams. It awakens us to living life sealed, led, secured, and filled by Holy Spirit. But even more incredible, we are invited into an ever deepening relationship with Jesus’ Father. As such, we are also gifted and called into the intimacies that Heavenly Father, He and Holy Spirit have always shared together.

25 “Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly too ordinary people. 26 Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work." 27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. 28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”(Matthew 11: 25-27, Msg)

How amazing—we can hardly fathom such love being offered freely as a result the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus! Intimacy with the Trinity and the spiritual knowledge and divine perspective that graces us in Christ is almost too good to be true! Oh, but it is true—truer than any truth or reality in heaven or on earth. You and I are being called out of the desolation and relational dysfunction of life BC (before Christ)!

Paul understood that God is always communicating in everything and that God’s message is everywhere, all we have to do is pay attention and look for it. It wasn’t that hard to find.   Once you recognize the voice of God, you hear Him everywhere; but most amazing we can hear and communicate with Jesus and Our Heavenly Father with our new heart. What an amazing gift: a heart that is focused and sensitized to our “NEW HEART”, filled with Holy Spirit and all He brings and moment by moment communication with Jesus Christ!

Jesus taught his followers that no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Why? Because the old wineskin will rupture and the new wine will be spilled. Instead, He puts new wine into our new wineskin; the regenerated spirit and new heart he gives all who are Born Again. Our ‘old man’ (which describes our existence before Christ) cannot contain our newly awakened spirit man. Our new identity in Christ makes room for everything we have to look forward too—a grand journey with him! This new journey we share with Jesus and our new destiny mirrors Jesus’ relationship with his Father.  

“For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (from beginning to end)—not by works (either by self effort, observing religious duties or practices, or worldly wisdom), so that no man can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (His work in and through us), which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  

Become your heart's best friend! Nurture your heart, protect your heart and share your heart. Immerse your heart into the passionate, fiery love of Jesus! He lives there...Ron Ross

Comparison and Competition Free Zone

Let's Leave Ourselves NO Room for For Competing and Comparing

2 Cor 10:12 We are not contesting with those who desire to commend themselves! While they compete and compare with one another they completely miss the point; they fail to comprehend our joint I am-ness! (The word, sunieimi is to fully comprehend, from sun, a preposition denoting union, and eimi, I am)

10:13 Why boast in something you can take absolutely no credit for! The only valid measure that defines our lives and explains why we have arrived on your doorstep with the gospel, is the one with which God has measured us in Christ.

(One cannot measure temperature with a ruler. The word ephikneomai, from epi, continual influence upon, and hēkō, to have come, to have arrived, to be present. See Romans 6:14, Sin was your master while the law was your measure; now grace rules. [The law revealed your slavery to sin; now grace reveals your freedom from it.]

Also Romans 3:27 The law of faith cancels the law of works, which means there is suddenly nothing left for man to boast in. No one is superior to another. Bragging only makes sense if there is someone to compete with or impress.

“Through the righteousness of God we have received a faith of equal standing.” See 2 Pet 1:1 RSV The OS (operating system) of the law of works is willpower; the OS of the law of faith is love. Gal 5:6 Love sets faith in motion. The law presented man with choices; grace awakens belief! Willpower exhausts, love ignites!

If choices could save us we would be our own Saviors! Willpower is the language of the law, love is the language of grace and it ignites faith that leads to romance; falling in love beats “making a decision to believe in love”! See Rom 7:19)

10:14 Our ministry to you is proof that there are no geographic limitations that could possibly exclude you from the gospel of Jesus Christ!

10:15 We are not competing with others for your membership; our vision for you is to see your faith mature into a full harvest; this is our standard rule, we have no other expectation! To the same degree that your faith matures, our field among you is greatly increased!

10:16 You become the extension of our sphere of influence as we together reach neighboring regions beyond yourselves. The gospel is the key role-player here! (Mirror Bible) Ron Ross

Releasing Our Potential

I shared this devotional some time ago, but have been prompted to share it again today. I trust it will be a blessing. Papa recently shared a perspective within me that intrigued and awakened His heart like few things have. You do know that a major part of our birthright as Sons and Daughters of God is having His heart beat within ours? I can sense when His heart is being moved-it is otherwise characterized as a witness of the Spirit. 

He shared something like this. Behind much of today’s presentation of Christianity is a theology of "becoming." Becoming more faithful, becoming more spiritual, becoming a better ______. You fill in the blanks. What are you presently “working” on “becoming”? Funny, I thought we lived out of who we are in Christ; not on whom we are “working” to become. 

He went on to say, “I would rather see you live from a position of "releasing." Release the God-given grace, goodness, power, potential and life that is yours in Christ! It's the assumption of the 'already' rather than... the 'not-yet.'  

Aren’t “we” already, on our worst day, Christ in ______? The older I get in him, the more I have the hope of “releasing” Christ in me, the hope of Glory! I don’t think I have enough time left to “work” at becoming some elusive, religious, pious self. Maybe settling on “believing who we already are in Christ” and getting out of the way (releasing) is a better strategy? 

“That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into a new country of grace—a new life in a new land! 

That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our grace-sovereign country. 

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life (“becoming”) was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s beck and call! What we believe is this; if we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word” Romans 6:2-10, The Message, parenthesis mine. 

Baptism into Christ got “the flesh” out of the way. We no longer have to “become”. We already “are” in the resurrected life giving power of Jesus. Be nurtured today by being released into who you already are in Christ!  

In the grip of Papa’s life releasing grace! Ron Ross

Intenioning 'Koininia'

All of us have a semblance of ‘Koininia’.  Koininia is best defined as having a fellowship, community, and/or a network of safe, mutually desired relationships.

Your family of origin may or may not be 'Koininia'. But those relationships you continue to desire or invest in, or in which you regularly experience reciprocity (healthy give and take) would generally be defined as Koininia. Having a functional Koininia; whether it is original or one you have chosen and mutually built, (i.e.--church family, fellowship, marriage, friends, or shared cultural identity) is vital to personal fulfillment, joy strength, well being and wholeness.

This is a life-long journey where you intention joyful wholeness through Koininia. And it is incredibly dependent upon successfully creating a Christ-centered family of authentic, shared, common life where every individual can naturally and super-naturally connect. This will require a common relational reality and conversation that most just haven’t been equipped with; at least not functionally!

“The development of ‘meaningful’ relationships where ‘every member’ carries a significant sense of belonging [and connecting] is central to what it means to be the church.” (Randy Frazee, ‘The Connecting Church’)

The following passage (beautifully expressed in The Mirror Bible, by Francois du Tois) from Paul’s writings in his letter to the Church at Ephesus sheds necessary light on our “darkened understanding,” especially as it pertains to building and maintaining successful life connections.

4:11 What God now has in us is gift wrapped to the world; (the same content and the same intent,) Some are commissioned to pioneer; others are gifted as prophets, some as announcers of good news, some as shepherds with a real gift to care and nurture, and others have a gift to impart instruction through revelation knowledge. (Couriers, communicators, counselors and coaches. Rob Lacey)

4:12 Each expression of His gift is to fully equip and enable the saints for the work of the ministry so that they may mutually contribute in their specific function to give definition to the visible body of Christ.

4:13 The purpose of the gifts are to present everyone on par and  in oneness of faith; believing exactly what the Son of God believes and knowing accurately what He knows concerning us. Standing face to face in equal stature to the measure of the completeness of Christ. (A life filled to the brim with Christ, like a freight ship carrying its Cargo.)

4:14 The most dangerous life you can live is an ignorant one. You're left like an infant on a ship out of control in the waves and winds of the storms of life. (Vulnerable to the ‘sleight of hand’) The fall of the dice dictates (your relational reality) while the deceptive teachings of men and their distracting tricks entertain.

4:15 Love (the revealed value that God sees in every man) gives truth its voice. In this atmosphere spontaneous growth is inevitable. The whole person is addressed in Christ who is the head of the body, (pictured as a conductor of music, epichoregeo.)

4:16 From Him flows the original composition and detail of our design like words intertwined in poetry, they connect layer upon layer to complete the harmony, following the rhythm of His thoughts like footprints. Meanwhile the body thrives and pulsates with the energy of love. Each individual part (portion) finds its full measure there.

What a description of the majesty of our ‘shared’ and ‘common’--‘unity’. “Let me remind you, friends, that Christ’s disciples were all of one mind prior to Pentecost (see Acts 1:14).

"If there had not been unity among the disciples, there would not have been an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The outpouring did not create unity (common-unity); unity made the way for the outpouring. Christ-centered unity is just as essential today, if we will see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit repeated in our world" (In Christ’s Image Training, Francis Frangipane).

The future of the church depends on whether it develops true community. We can get by for a while on size, skilled communication, and/or programs [that are designed] to meet every “need”, but unless we sense that we belong  to each other; with masks off, the vibrant church of today will become the powerless church of tomorrow. Stale, irrelevant, a place of pretense where suffers suffer alone, where pressures merely generate conformity rather than the Spirit creating ‘shared life’—that’s where the/our church is headed unless it focuses on community.” (Adapted from Larry Crabb in forward of The Connecting Church)

What then is the absolute foundation for building “Christian Community”? The shared relationship within the Trinity displays the clearest picture of what the foundation of true community is.

26 “Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." (Gen. 1:26a)

Jesus spent most of His time imparting and teaching focusing His disciples on the relationship between Himself, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit and us. So; the building and maintaining of Koininia is foundation-ally the sharing of our life immersed in the Fathers, Jesus', and Holy Spirits shared love--[‘in common’ and ‘in unity’].  And their sharing of relational life through the Church (the Body of Christ). Another biblical picture of "community" comes from John's first letter.

1 “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in - we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. 2 The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. 3 We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:1-3, Msg)

4 "Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joys will double our joy! 5 This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there's not a trace of darkness in him. 6 If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously lying through our teeth - we're not living what we claim. 7 But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin." (1 John 1:4-7, Msg)

44 "And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. 45 They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met. 46 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, 47 as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved." (Acts 2, Msg.)

1(So) “My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. 19 This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. 20 It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.” (1 John 3:18-20, Msg.)

What are some of the building blocks of Community?  They are functionally sharing the gifts and fruits of Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Word (logos and rheama), mutual love, comfort, encouragement, edification, joy, peace, and mission. Also experiencing shared Communion, shared sufferings, joys, hope, forgiveness (absolution as a Priest), exhortation, The Cross, Resurrection power, Overcoming-Abundant life (God Life) Co-Reigning as Kings) and the sharing (Shekina Glory-Manifest Presence) of Praise and Worship. Wow! We share so many awesome experiences in Koininia. So; let’s…

1 “Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it - because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. 2 If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. 3 But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you're letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you. 4 The one who prays using a private "prayer language" certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God's truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength. 5 I want all of you to develop intimacies with God in prayer, but please don't stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear truth to others. It's more important that everyone have access to the knowledge and love of God in language everyone understands."(1 Cor. 4:1-5, Msg)

Bottom Line: we are challenged by Scripture (it's not optional) to a shared life of mutual love! That will motivate 'Koininia'. Ron Ross