Is God really who we think He is? I mean, the reality of His divine nature, not simply the illusion and limited views we have had thus far? This is an hour that God is calling deeply within the hearts of His people, that we might truly know Him. A time to humble our hearts and seek His ways. To allow the Holy Spirit to tenderize our hearts and realign our beliefs. There are so many things we need to unlearn about who we think He is. Our views and understanding have been so limited compared to His greatness. This is a time in history that He is revealing himself as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The resurrected, ascended, ruling, reigning King! We have for so long only seen him as the Lamb who died and rose again. This is an hour that He is revealing Himself as the Lion of the tribe of Judah! He will always be the lamb, but He will also always be the fierce Lion! We have been taught that God is always in a good mood and that He answers to our beck and call if we quote the right scriptures and declare the right things. A soft-spoken, mild-mannered Jesus who overlooks our sins and transgressions because he loves us. Of course, all of these are true, but they are not “stand-alone” characters of the King! We say we want revival – or at least what we think revival looks like. Do we really understand what revival is? It is not simply a display of signs and wonders where people are moved to say they believe in Jesus. It is a deep, personal, life-changing movement in the hearts and minds of people who are willing to allow Jesus to RULE and REIGN – not just to forgive, heal, and bless. It’s not a fairy tale where everything in our life goes right. Expecting that He will protect us, bless us, forgive us, and provide ALL our needs! Yes, of course, He does, but there is also the side where things don’t always go our way! When life isn’t comfortable, easy, and without pressure. Where we never get sick or have tribulations! What do we (the modern-day Christian) do with these situations? Does our view of Jesus allow for “the uncomfortable”? What do we do when things don’t go our way? When we don’t get the outcome of a situation we desire? His ways truly are not our ways. He is good and He loves us – yes of course, but what about the times when things don’t line up with our beliefs? What about when bad things happen to good people? When the world around us gets darker and everything isn’t smooth sailing? Do we know our God and His love that so transcends these times in life that don’t line up with what we have believed? Let’s get to know the REALITY and not simply the illusion that “easy church” has taught us about the way life with God works.
John walked with Jesus for 3+ years. He was an eye-witness to all that happened. He was the one who loved Jesus so much that he is even described as the disciple who loved Jesus and the one who laid his head on his chest. I think he knew Jesus, don’t you? But man, when He appeared to John on the isle of Patmos, John fell at his feet … as if dead! As well as he had known and walked with Jesus, this time, John saw Jesus as He is today in all His glory! The book of Revelation is the unveiling of Jesus in ALL His glory – as the One who rules and reigns over the universe! He is not only the Jesus who walked the earth … He is the KING! The more we get to know Jesus, the more we realize that we don’t really know much about who He truly is. If our grasp of Him is all there is, He wouldn’t be any more than a mere man. We cannot limit Him by our own understanding. We need “the revelation” … “the unveiling” of the King – of the Lion! The open book of the Revelation of the Christ – the Anointed One!
We have been taught that repentance is “turning from” something; however, it’s really to “change our mind – our way of thinking”. It’s allowing God’s ways to be worked within our being in a way that changes our actions, beliefs, and the way we live our lives. It’s acknowledging that His ways are different than ours and actually allowing these ways to rule our minds, wills, and emotions. Perhaps we have become too familiar with God and have lost our reverence of the holiness and awestruck fear (wonder) of the Almighty God? I believe God is calling us to move from our place of comfortableness with the ways we have known Him and to stand in a place of humility in His presence, that we might discover the King of kings and Lord of lords! To stand before a King is not something most of us are familiar with. Ask anyone who has been before a King and they will tell you that it is not a casual, do as you please, anything-goes affair. In the presence of our King, as we hear the call of this God who truly loves us, we will be changed – truly changed from the inside out! He can no longer simply be “the blesser”. I don’t say this as a matter of religion, form, or rules, but as the reverence that comes from truly getting to know the God who rules the heavens and the earth. The fear of God is actually the awestruck wonder of a King. Much of what is happening throughout the world in this hour is also the God of grace calling His people to get to know Him. To turn from our ways and thoughts and get to know His ways and thoughts. This can only be done in His presence, spending time allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us, change us, fashion us, and conform us into His image! It’s time that we the church begin to look like people of faith. For far too long we have looked no different than the world but all the while professing a faith without His holiness shaping our lives. No wonder the world doesn’t want anything to do with Jesus! They haven’t seen a church that makes them jealous of what we have! The power, the wonder, the awesomeness of a relationship with the living God must look like something that makes people pay attention and wonder what makes us different. With all the upheaval going on around us, the world as we have known it is never going to be the same again. We cannot think that by looking, acting, and believing as we have in the past that it is going to be the answer people are looking for. They must see and sense something so powerfully different that they are drawn to discover the answer to what they see. So let’s let God reveal Himself to us in ways that will change our minds and transform our lives. Holy Spirit, awaken us more and more and more until we leave our desires behind and submit ourselves to you and your plans! We want to know you and to partner with you in this divine moment of history! Let God’s people say “Amen” and awaken to His call in this hour. What a time to be alive, my friend – truly alive!
