Christianity is not a spectator sport!

I was reading again through the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the tomb. He knew it was for God's glory, and that he would be glorified through this as well. But did God command him to go do this act, or was it his decision? He says before the tomb, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." So, it sounds like he asked for God to do this. He asked, and God did it...right? Then why was he the one that yelled, "Lazarus, come out!" Wasn't God just supposed to do it, since Jesus had already asked? Shouldn't Jesus have just waited for the act to be done? Now, I know Jesus was fully God just as much as human, but he also was led by the Spirit just as we are to be. And, he was the perfect model of the relationship with the Father that we are to have. A partnership. So if he was the perfect model, then why do we ask things and ask things and ask yet again and wait for God to do them without expecting to do anything ourselves? When the Spirit came, did not the disciples receive power? What was the power for - to be a better spectator? At what point are we to join in the partnership?

If we just ask and wait, we participate too little. If we run off ahead and do things on our own and then ask God to step in and join us in our efforts, we've exceeded our boundaries. But then what? What are we to do, and how are we to live? We need to be guided by the Spirit, as he was. What does that mean? The Spirit is the essence of Jesus living within us. Sometimes called the Spirit of Jesus. The embodiment of him within us. When he says that he and the Father will come and make their dwelling place within us, it is through the Spirit. And when we are unified through that Spirit and following his direction, we are within the will of God. It's a partnership. A unity between us and God. This is not making ourselves above God, but unified with him, as Jesus prayed for it to be in John 17.

It should also be this way with us as a body of Christ here on earth. We are to be unified with one another through the Spirit, in perfect partnership with one another doing the works of the kingdom that the Father has prepared for us to do. But instead, many times we are still looking for a king. We want a king to stand before us and do the works. And we watch as spectators. I want to be a spectator no longer. I want to be fully in the game, listening to every direction of the coach and playing as he directs me to. And I don't want to be alone. I want to be a part of a team - a body at large. Just as the body of Christ was designed to be under the leadership of our one and only true King.

One thing I've learned over time is that when you can't see ahead, when your sight is limited to just before you, it's as if you are inside of a brick tower that surrounds you. All you can see are the bricks ahead and the sky above. That's it, no further. But it is then that it is the most comforting to know that there is a God who can see, who is high above all else and sees the city that surrounds you. His site is on you, and He knows what there is ahead of you, even when you can't see it yourself. And His eyes are on you as well, because He cares for you. What a comfort it is to know that His sight is so much greater beyond our own, and that we can trust and rest secure in knowing that.

Blood, Fire, and Water

Blood, fire, and water seem to be a theme of elements that God uses for significant purposes. In the temple, in the New Testament, etc. I was reading again last night the scene between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. In his prayer before the altar, Elijah prays for God to take action in part so that the people might know that he has done these things according to His command. He had just rebuilt the altar and placed a sacrifice on it (blood), and then dumped water on it (water). After the prayer God devours the sacrifice, wood, altar (these were stones!), soil! and water through...fire. The three elements. I'm sure the water that was poured on the sacrifice was in part to drive home the point that this was indeed fire from God that was powerful and even a soggy sacrifice couldn't hinder Him. But, I also find it interesting that God used these three elements once again during a crucial/significant time of turning the hearts of Israel back to Him once again.